


This Time Around

by Nightmare_Taichou



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Alternate Universe - Time Travel, Eventual Romance, Friendship, Gen, Humor, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-12
Updated: 2019-05-29
Packaged: 2019-06-26 05:55:05
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 34
Words: 154,627
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15657108
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nightmare_Taichou/pseuds/Nightmare_Taichou
Summary: After the crushing defeat at the hands of Touou, and with Kagami telling him that they can't work together, Kuroko was devastated.Wanting to cheer up the light blue haired teen was Kise, who had made his way to Seirin's locker room in hopes of doing just that.But when he failed to do so, he makes a wish out loud which Kuroko also agrees to, and so the gods heard and thus the boys returned their middle school in Teikou. But both Kuroko and Kise were determined that this time around...they'll change things for the better.





	1. Chapter 1

...

" _And even though I tried, it all fell apart,_

_What it meant to me will eventually be a memory of a time when_

_I tried so hard, and got so far,_

_But in the end, it doesn't even matter."_

\- Linkin Park " _In the End"_

 

_..._

_..._

 

The buzzer sounded, signalling the end of the match. The crowd had erupted into a series of cheers and screams, but for Seirin, they were heartbroken. The score was Touou Gakuen – 112, while they were on 55. But it was more for Kuroko Tetsuya, the former phantom sixth man of the Generation of Miracles. Throughout the match, to see his former light, former _best friend_ do those things and hear the things he said…Kuroko couldn't believe that it was Aomine Daiki before him.

It was a heart-breaker indeed.

He ― no ― his team was crushed. _Completely crushed_. And there was nothing he could do about it. There was nothing he _could've_ done. They had tried their best; Kuroko had never felt so useless before in his life, not even in his match against Shutoku. No matter what he threw at Aomine, nothing bore fruit. The tanned ace blocked all his passes, and well, he couldn't stop him. Hell, _no one_ could. He had just walked past Aomine, his blue bangs hiding most of his face. Neither boy had said anything to each other, hell, either _couldn't_ say anything. It was almost as though they were strangers, meeting and playing each other for the first time; to Kuroko, the feeling was horrible.

The two teams had then lined up at the centre, and after they had bowed, they headed off into their locker rooms.

Seirin was eerily quiet, no one knew what to say, more like, no one _could_ say anything. After that crushing defeat, Riko didn't dare to say anything to her boys. She knew, she just _knew_ that it may make things worse. So she let them be, and simply told them to come outside when they're done. The freshmen trio was the ones who exited first, being that they didn't play in the game. The others sulked for what seemed an eternity and wordlessly, they then got up and headed out.

After everyone else had left, Kuroko was still seated on the bench and looking on the floor, while Kagami had got up and was ready to leave.

"Hey." He started. "This might be our limit. I thought we could go further, but look at us." There was silence. Kuroko felt his chest tighten, as the way in which Kagami spoke, seems to be foreshadowing something. "In the face of overwhelming power, I don't think we can win just by working together."

There it was.

Kuroko felt like a bomb just dropped on him. He was so shocked and _hurt_ that he couldn't even utter a single word. Kagami closed the door behind him leaving Kuroko in the locker room. And then without realizing, a tear escaped his left eye. Then another from his right. Soon, they were streaming down his cheeks uncontrollably; he used his hands to constantly wipe them from his face.

But they won't stop. More like, they _can't._

He held down his head and just let them run. For what seemed to be hours, Kuroko sat there in silence, crying.

 

...

...

 

Kise watched with horror at what just transpired. At the beginning, he felt that Seirin had had hope, a chance to win this match. But the moment Aomine had arrived, everything went downhill. It was then that Kise realized that Aomine was indeed a beast, a _monster_. He destroyed Seirin as though they weren't good players and while he applauded them for their undying spirit, he couldn't help but worry for them. He knew they weren't weak, but this…

His eyes then landed on Kuroko, who had just walked past Aomine. Neither said anything to each other, and he didn't wrong Kuroko. If it were him, he doubts that he'd want to talk to Aomine as well. But more so, he didn't want _his_ Kurokocchi to say a word to him. He didn't _deserve_ it. Back in Teikou, he didn't deserve _him_ either. It pained his heart to know that Kuroko was once best friends with him, was once his _shadow._

Kise gritted his teeth with rage. Midorima, who was beside him, wondered what had gotten into the blond for him to be reacting like this. But looking back at the match, the green-haired shooter was somehow glad that it isn't Shutoku down there. It isn't that he doubted their abilities, nor his, but seeing Aomine now, made him realize how frightening the tanned ace can be.

"See you Midorimacchi," the blond then said, taking him out of his reverie.

"Where are you going?" He found himself asking. It was a dumb question, as he knew that at this time, they'd more than likely return to school for practice.

"To Kurokocchi," he smiled. "I'm sure that he'll need comforting."

"From you?" He raised an eyebrow. He knew that Kuroko didn't hate him, but the blue-haired teen didn't really behave affectionate to the annoying blond either.

"Who else?" he said calmly as he made his way.

"Good luck with that." Midorima mumbled before looking back at the now empty court. But he had failed to realize the anger burning in the blond's eyes.

...

After ducking and dodging security and charming his way through some as well, Kise finally made it to where the teams' locker room was. Without even glancing at the Touou locker room, he went straight to Seirin's. At the door, he inhaled and exhaled, preparing himself for the gloom that will hit him as he soon as he opened the door. With a brave push, the door opened and what he saw totally left him shattered. There Kuroko was, sitting in a corner with his face turned to the locker. But one thing was evident.

Tears.

They were running down his cheek, and his once beautiful blue eyes were now red with sadness. Kuroko jumped when he saw him in the doorway. Slowly, Kise made his way to the boy, who swiftly wiped his face and turned away from him.

"Kurokocchi," Kise said in a soft voice. When he reached the bench, he took a seat and placed a hand over his shoulder. "It's…" he trailed off, as what he was about to say wouldn't make things better. _It's going to be okay_ …like hell anything is going to be.

"It's okay to let it all out." He then said, trying his best to soothe the boy. "There's no one here but you and me. It's fine to cry." In his arms, he could feel Kuroko's body shaking. The blue-haired teen still held down his head, but on his pants, Kise could see the droplets of water leave their marks.

Without saying a word to the boy, Kise embraced him in a hug. This wasn't one of his suffocating hugs, but this was genuine and full of… _comfort_. Kuroko leaned in to his chest and let it all out. His cries started to sound like wails, Kise could feel his shirt getting wetter and wetter. But worse, he could hear his heart shattering further into a million pieces. His Kurokocchi wasn't ― _isn't_ ― supposed to cry. _Ever._ He gently rubbed Kuroko's back in order to comfort him.

"I-I-I was," he said in between sniffs, "completely useless,"

"It's not your fault, Kurokocchi."

"I-I-I can't do anything." He sobbed. "I can't dribble, I can't shoot, I can't block, nothing. When I think about you all and what you can do, it's really amazing. While I…against Aomine-kun, I…" he trailed off.

"That's understandable. You're a passing specialist, Kurokocchi! That's what you're good at!" Kise perked, trying to make the boy see the good in his skills.

"But how far did that help take my team?" he then looked up at Kise with tearful eyes. In that moment, Kise felt everything crumble. Sadness and rage overtook him, his Kurokocchi isn't made to be sad. "Even Kagami-kun, he said…he said…" Kuroko turned his face away as yet another tear escaped his eyes.

"He said what?"

"He said that he doesn't think that we can win just by working together."

Kise was silenced.

The hotheaded fool that seemed to be promising, that seemed to be _not_ like _them_ , have actually said that to _his_ Kurokocchi? He was his teammate! He was his _new light_! Kise's held Kuroko tighter, his rage was apparent. Hearing this just made things worse. And looking at everything that has happened today, for Kuroko, it was like being doubly wounded…killed per say. His former light crushing him and his current light saying that he doesn't want his teamwork anymore.

"You know," Kise started, "when I got to know how awesome you are, I've always wished that I was your light instead. Call me selfish and cruel if you want, but I wished that you never met Aominecchi. After coming to my senses, I thought he never deserved a shadow like you." He looked Kuroko dead in his eyes.

With trembling lips, Kuroko placed his face in the blond's chest and nodded. "I wish so too."

"I'll beat Aominecchi for you. Kaijou will take down Touou, will that be alright?"

Kuroko only nodded.

And so, Kise vowed to himself that he will make Aomine pay. For once, not only will he play for his team; he'll play for his Kurokocchi. And he'll win, even if it kills him.

 

...

...

 

In the other two days of the championship league in Tokyo, Seirin lost to both Meisei and Senshinkan. Kuroko was unable to reproduce his amazing passes, making countless mistakes that he wouldn't _― never ―_ normally do. Thus, they ended their campaign for Inter-High.

But throughout this, Seirin noticed that something was wrong with Kuroko. They knew he was normally quiet, but he didn't speak to anyone, not even _Kagami_. The redhead and the boy were close, having some sort of bond that the others didn't. So when he didn't talk to even him, they _knew_ that something was off.

Whenever they tried to inquire about it, the blue-haired teen would simply dodge the question or change the subject so swiftly that they hadn't realized. Riko was especially worried for him, being that he's their youngest. She tried the most out of everyone to cheer up the boy, but failed every time.

"I'm fine, Coach." He'd always answer when it obvious that he _wasn't._

But apart from that, they also noticed that he'd become more attached to his phone than usual. Before, no one would know that Kuroko had a phone unless someone called him or he called someone. But now, he's _always_ on the device, his thumb typing speedily away at the keypad. When asked about it, without looking away from the screen, he'd simply reply with nonchalance:

"Kise-kun."

None knew what the two messaged each other about, but one thing was for sure, the blond brought a smile to Kuroko's face more than often, cheering him up better than they could. But it caused them to wonder about Kise and Kuroko's friendship. They remembered the first day he came to Seirin, Kuroko wasn't particularly friendly with him, so why now that they're messaging each other every day? But the team left it at that. Their phantom was slowly coming around even if it's because of the annoying blond from Kaijou.

But even so, at the mere sight of a basketball and a court, Kuroko was still being haunted, and not being able to perform at his optimum. The feeling of uselessness pricked at him once again, and when he could take no more, he went to Hyuuga and asked if he could be taken from the regulars. After a good piece of advice from the captain, and ending up meeting Kiyoshi Teppei, Seirin's original centre and the ace of the Senpai, Kuroko had made his resolve.

The days then passed and their practices got even more intense, but then they had a training camp to the beach. Kuroko wasn't too keen on this, but if it meant getting stronger then he'll be willing to. By now, he and Kagami had started talking back to each other; however, they have yet to coordinate on court. But, neither of their teammates were worried because come the Winter Cup, they were going to.

It so happened that, while at the camp, Shutoku had planned to stay there as well. Knowing their coach, the Seirin boys had practice matches every other day with Shutoku to see how much they've improved and so on. Kuroko still hadn't found a way to counter the miracles, but he, and Kagami were sure that in due time he will.

Midorima was being his usual tsundere self, but along the way, he had given both Kagami and Kuroko tips. They weren't that welcoming though, being that Midorima spoke a bit harshly. But after it sunk in, both boys knew what they had to do for Winter.

But, the gods had other plans.

...

...

 

At Kaijou, Kise worked himself to death. There wasn't a single morning that he didn't jog before heading to school, and there wasn't a practice that he missed. He practiced harder than the other boys, and at one point, Kasamatsu had to ask — _begged_ _—_ the boy to take a rest.

"But Senpai," he started to whine.

"No buts! If you destroy your body and are unfit to play, how will we feel? How will _you_ feel?" he had reprimanded. It was the only way that Kasamatsu got him to take a five minute break. And so, a week of practice went on like this, everyone admiring Kise for his hard work but at the same time, they fretted that he might injure himself for Inter-High.

When Inter-High Tournament came around, everyone in Kaijou noticed that Kise was calm and collected, he was still chirpy and chatty and a ball of sunshine, but it was less than the usual. He was usually serious on court and during their strategic meetings, but these days, he's being quiet even when he doesn't have to. That said, after they've blitzed through the rounds and made it to quarter-finals, Kise seemed to be on edge.

But on edge from what?

 _Nervousness_? Can't be.

 _Fear_? Their ace is the one to _be_ feared instead.

 _Excitement_? Probably.

But when the others had found out the real reason, they understood clearly.

Their next opponent was Touou.

That meant his match-up between Aomine Daiki, the former ace of the Generation of Miracles. In the locker room, the boys had noticed that Kise seemed to be calculating something, as the boy never spoke a word to anyone, nothing. He just sat on the bench, staring at his hands.

When it was time for the match and they had headed out onto the court, Kaijou realized that what they felt from the blond in the locker room wasn't uneasiness but bloodlust. He emitted such dark energy that seemed to repel his teammates, making him seem unapproachable. Everyone wondered what the cause of this was, but when they looked in the same direction as Kise, they realized that he was staring at the tanned ace.

Kasamatsu shook his head at this, but he was somehow reassured that they _could_ win this match. The aura around Kise made Kasamatsu feel like he could give the boy all the balls and he'll play...play like his ― _their ―_ lives depended on it. Kobori felt the same way, and decided that as long as he was within range, he'll keep everything and _anything_ out of the blond's path. Hayakawa swore (as usual anyway) to catch all the rebounds and Moriyama, he was going to sink his threes as his goddess in the third row, west side is watching.

As for Kise, just looking at the tanned boy made his blood boil as images of Kuroko sitting in the cold and dark locker room resurfaced. Because of _him,_ Kurokocchi cried. Because of _him,_ Kurokocchi felt useless. Everything that happened was because _him,_ Aomine Daiki. He found himself balling his hands into a fist, and gritting his teeth. He then calmed down and looked to the audience, as he had received a message earlier today from Kuroko stating he'll be watching his match. That made it worse he can't screw up. Somehow, the blond felt a surge of power within him, and he felt as though he ― _they_ ― could win.

The teams had then walked onto the court, lined up before each other and bowed. When everyone got into their positions, the referee then threw the ball into the air for tip-off, Kobori and Wakamatsu reaching for it.

...

The match between Kaijou and Touou was an intense one, the two aces going head to head. Kise had gotten down Aomine's copy perfectly well by the time the match reached into the fourth quarter. They were at each other's throats, but Kaijou and the rest of Touou could feel Kise's bloodlust. This seems to have influenced Aomine as well, as he played with such ferocity that his teammates had to wonder what was happening.

As Kuroko and Seirin watched the match, they couldn't believe that these two boys were just in their first year. But Kuroko could see that the blond was trying his best, after all, he had told him that he'd make Kaijou win for _his_ sake.

But sadly, it just _didn't_ go Kise's way.

When the match had ended, Touou was on 112 while Kaijou was on 98. He punched the ground with his fist, as not only did he lose, he couldn't get up. _How embarrassing this is…_ He had thought. Kaijou had fought hard and lost valiantly, _graciously_ but Kise still wasn't satisfied. He wanted to beat Aomine for Kuroko, but…he failed. He had failed miserably.

Kasamatsu had to lift him up for him to be able to line up. When the two teams had bowed to each other, seeing how his boys were despondent, Kasamatsu cheered them up.

"We're in the top eight! We should leave with our heads held high!"

And with that, their mood had changed for the better but Kise was still down in the dumps. He looked to the crowd in hopes of seeing the light blue-haired teen, but he knew he couldn't anyway. When they made it back to their locker room, Kise checked his phone and saw that he had received not one but _two_ messages from Kuroko. He jumped for joy and when he opened it, he seemed to have entered heaven.

_Subject: -_

_You were awesome, Kise-kun._

Seeing that message, he felt giddy seeing that his Kurokocchi actually _praised_ him. He was sitting on the bench with his back turned to everyone else, but they could hear his squeals of delight. The second one had him bolted upwards and dashing out of the locker room.

_Subject: -_

_Could you meet me in the parking lot?_

He ignored the shouts and calls of his teammates, of his coach. Kurokocchi was more important anyway. After exiting the building and heading to the parking lot, Kise searched around frantically for the phantom.

"Hello Kise-kun." A voice said. Kise jumped and grabbed the fabric at his chest.

"Kurokocchi, you scared me." He exhaled.

"Sorry."

They then fell into a silence, no one knowing what to say. Kise looked away from the shorter teen, he wanted to apologize for breaking his promise, but he couldn't find the strength to. He felt awful, seeing that he had reassured the boy that Kaijou would have beaten Touou…but they didn't.

"Kise-kun is an idiot." Kuroko then said as if he could read his mind.

"Eh?!" Kise shouted, that statement bringing him back to reality.

Kuroko smiled at him. "It's alright. You tried really hard, and I'm thankful for that."

"Kurokocchi,"

"Now, do you want to get something to eat?"

"Sure!" he beamed.

"You're paying though."

Kise deflated in an instant. But the thought of eating out with his Kurokocchi _alone_ , made him perk up. He didn't mind that he's paying. Nope. Not one bit.

 

...

...

 

Kise sat on his bed, thinking about all that happened today. Even though he had lost to Aomine, and well, couldn't get up after the match, the aftermath was very promising. He's never eaten out with Kuroko _alone_ before, and the blond felt like he was on cloud nine. And then, add to that, he was praised by the smaller teen. Yes, everything that happened after the match made him feel much, much better.

He then lied down in his bed, and then closed his eyes. He wasn't sleeping, but he was remembering all the times they used to have in Teikou. He remembered a time when they had been out getting popsicles due to him being recruited into the regulars. And then a biker stole a woman's purse...he and Aomine chasing after him while Midorima had used Murasakibara's maiubo to the halt the man. _Ah...that was an evening to remember._ He smiled.

There had been many fun moments as well; them going to an arcade at one point, they even had a trip to Hawaii as well...the most that caused to him to laugh was the times with Midorima and Murasakibara. He found the two comical, especially when they were arguing about even the simplest of things such as eating habits and posture.

He busts out a laugh at remembering Midorima's antics, carrying around a lucky-item all day every day. There was one point in time, where the green-haired shooter's item was a kitchen knife and everyone fretted that day. No one got on Akashi's bad side that day, no one pissed off Aomine. They knew that either boy would draw for the item if they did. He also remembered a time when he and Aomine had fought over one of Kuroko's passes in practice. Even to this day, neither boy knew who was the intended recipient.

But thinking on Aomine, Kise realized that the underlying hate was still there. "I wish I could have gone back and befriended Kurokocchi first." Kise sighed. "That way, I would have been his light instead." He then turned onto his side and decided to fall asleep.

 

...

...

 

Meanwhile, Kuroko laid on his back, and stared up at the ceiling. Ever since the championship leagues, he noticed that he was talking to Kise more than how he'd usually. He didn't mind, as he found out that there's more to Kise than just an annoying, whiny, airheaded blond. He chuckled at that, and then turned facing his window. And just like Kise, he too was remembering his middle school days.

He could remember the days when the other miracles were normal, loving basketball and playing _together._ He remembered Aomine especially, the joy that emitted out his body in waves whenever he played a match or hears that he's going to play one. Even though Murasakibara is lazy, Kuroko knew that underneath that, the giant boy looked basketball and had always looked forward in playing. Midorima was the same, even if he wouldn't admit outright. So, too with Akashi. All of them were.

He remembered when Kise had first joined, and refused to believe that he was on the regulars. But after their first practice match together, he saw that Kise was becoming attached to him than before. Come to think of it, him being called 'Kurokocchi' stemmed from that practice match. But looking at this, it was bound to happen eventually either way.

A small smile played onto his lips when he thought about all that he'd been through with them, but the instant it appeared it vanished. He kept remembering Aomine's harsh words on that particularly rainy day and a depressed sigh escaped his lips.

"What would have happened if I had met Kise-kun first?" he closed his eyes as he said this. "Would things have ended up differently?"

 


	2. Chapter 2

...

" _Be careful what you wish for,_

' _cause you just might get it all."_

\- Daughtry " _Home"_

 

_..._

_..._

 

 

Kise was surrounded by nothing but pitch black darkness as he floated on his back. Not knowing what was happening, he tried to call out but nothing came out of his was then that he realized _h_ _e couldn't speak._ He started to get flustered, but what was even more frightening was that he couldn't move. His entire body felt as though he was paralyzed, he felt nothing in his arms and legs, he didn't feel his heart beating, hell, he doubted that he was breathing. Kise almost got a panic attack.

But suddenly, he saw images of him and Kuroko when they were in the locker room, he heard himself speaking.

" _I've always wished that I was your light instead."_

He was dead serious at the time and still is. Even though in the past he had morphed into something that he was not proud of, if he could do it all over he wouldn't hesitate. Of all the times at Teikou, even though he admired Aomine, he admired Kuroko more. The small teen couldn't do much, well, _anything,_ yet still he was able to help lead them to victory. Whenever he and Kuroko are playing together, the blond was always amazed by Kuroko's passes, but even more so, he was always happy whenever the boy passed to him. It was in times like those that he'd envy Aomine, for being Kuroko's light, the one who receives most (if not all sometimes) of his passes.

He was taken out his thoughts when he saw the darkness starting to spin. Strangely, his body wasn't moving, instead, he continued to float there. Kise still tried to get his body to move which only ended in failure. No matter how hard he fought, he was as stiff as a rock. However, he was soon to be put out of his misery. A bright light shone, and that was when he heard a voice.

"Ryoutacchi. Ryoutacchi."

His eyes flew open, and he bolted upright. He looked about the room and saw that everything was normal. He _thought_ everything was normal.

"Ryoutacchi? Are you alright? You seem to be having a terrible nightmare."

He looked at the lady sitting beside him on his bed. She had lustrous golden hair that was caught in a pony-tail, her bright brown eyes were caring. _His mother. "_ Yeah, Mom. It was a horrible nightmare."

"Well, it's time to go to school." she perked up. "Hurry and hit the shower before your father does. You know he won't be coming out anytime soon if he does." With that, she left the room, and headed down the hall.

Kise then got up and stretched, but that 'dream' he had was still nagging. It felt so real, that even now he had to hold himself to regain his senses properly. But then something struck him. He felt as though he's experienced this before. He remembered when he was younger, he had a nightmare...and his mother was the one who woke him up...and she said the very same things that she just did…

_Déjà vu?_ Kise shook his head. _I must be over thinking things._ He then realized what she said. He had school. There's no way he has school, after all, his match against Touou was yesterday...and it was a Saturday. _Maybe it's a ploy to get me to wake up._ He then chuckled to himself.

He then walked over to his dresser and realized something. _The dresser_. He stared at it in disbelief. This was his dresser that he _used_ to have. It was a golden dresser, painted in the colour to match his hair. He had _loved_ this dresser, it being with him since he was about five. But the dresser that he's _supposed_ to have currently should be steel grey.

"What? What's going on?" He said as he touched the furniture. He trailed his hands along the edges to see if it was real. "I knew when I went to bed my grey dresser was there." He then looked about the room thoroughly this time. His walls were pristine white as he'd used to, his mahogany closet was nestled in the right-hand corner of the room beside the dresser. When he looked towards the bed, he found out something horrifying. On the wall, behind his headboard, there were posters of him. Posters that _shouldn't_ be there _anymore_.

He walked up to the bed, and kneeled, placing a hand on the posters. These were thrown out, these were _old..._ these were from he was _thirteen._ Looking at the wall again, he saw that there were no pictures from his time at Teikou, both basketball related and graduation. There were also no Kaijou pictures...he knew that there should be as these days, Moriyama decided to take pictures before their matches in their jerseys. _Those_ should be _there._ Looking at his bed again, he realized that the sheets were different. He stood up straight, his mind finding it hard to process what was going on. But then, something pricked at him, and he dashed towards his closet, flinging the doors wide open.

He gasped in horror.

His uniforms and jersey _weren't_ there. Instead, a different uniform stared back at him. To the left side of the closet, clean, white blazers were before him, and beside those were blue shirts with black ties under the collars. Next to those were his dark pants and lastly, to the right, were his white sweaters. With a trembling hand, he reached for one of the blazers, and without a doubt, it was his middle school uniform.

Teikou.

Kise let out a startled gasp as he threw the uniform as though it had burnt him. He stumbled backwards, crashing into his bedside table and landing on his butt. His phone, alarm clock and other things fell to the floor but that was when he saw it. His phone had landed right side up and the poor boy was beyond shocked.

That phone was from _three years ago._

Kise started to have a hunch but he still couldn't believe it. _This must be a dream._ He thought. But something told him to look at his phone screen. Pressing the power button, the date and time came up. He nearly had a heart attack.

_Tuesday, May 7, 2015._

He let out a blood curdling scream, as he scrambled to get up onto his feet. His entire body started trembling, his chest constricted, his breathing became laboured. He started to wheeze and Kise didn't know what was worse, him feeling like he's dying or the fact that time has been reverted to what it was three years ago. But as soon as he was upon his feet, they gave way, sending him crashing back into the floor. Using the bedside as some sort of leverage, he managed to get into a sitting position, while gripping into his bed sheets. With his other hand, he gripped his shirt at his chest because he felt like he couldn't breathe.

Then, the door busts open, he could hear thundering footsteps coming towards him. "Ryouta!" the gruff voice shouted as he held him upwards. _His father._ "Ryouta! Ryouta!" his father called out to him again. The older man then took the boy in his arms, resting Kise's head in his chest.

"Papacchi? What's…what's going on?" Kise asked, finally managed to calm down from his shock somewhat.

"What are you talking about?" the man asked with a raised eyebrow. He even noticed how much the boy was shaking. Kise then completely buried his face into his father's chest, not caring that the man was shirtless and wet. His two hands gripped the man's shoulders as though trying to penetrate his skin. His father then embraced him in a hug, whispering to him, "Everything's fine, Ryou. I'm here." he then rubbed the boy's back, knowing that this was something that would have always calmed him down when he was younger.

Just then, they heard a tap on the window, Kise's father immediately looked up. He saw that a ladder had been placed there, and then he saw well-manicured hands stained with dirt gripping at the rungs. The next thing he saw was beautiful golden hair swaying in the wind, followed by a face that he'd known all too well. Then, swiftly, the woman entered through the window, worry etched on her beautiful face.

"Ryouhecchi!" Kise's mother shrieked as she made her way inwards. "What happened? I heard Ryoutacchi scream!"

"I'm fine, now Mom." Kise then said, getting out his father's grip. He then got up onto his feet, albeit wobbling. "I'll be going to the shower, and Mom...cool entrance." he grinned, trying to ease their worry. He exited from the room, leaving his two parents bewildered.

"Ritsuko-chan," Ryouhei started as he got up, holding onto his towel that was around his waist. "Next time, use the door, it's dangerous to enter from the window. And plus, Ryou is thirteen now, you can't be giving him ideas. I don't want to be on the receiving end when he starts to use that as a means to get into his girlfriend's room."

"What?! I heard my baby scream! I couldn't think logically!" Ritsuko countered. "Plus, Ryoutacchi would never do something as distasteful as that."

"Please," Ryouhei chuckled. "It's in his genes." But then he looked at the door with a more serious expression, "he's calmed down now. From the looks of it, something scared him almost to death."

"I know he had a nightmare this morning." she said, "could that have been the cause?"

"No...well it shouldn't." he then added. "Unless, it was pretty realistic."

Kise had leaned on the bathroom door, taking in deep breaths. He needed to clear his head, so that he could think straight. Looking at the situation, and all that's happened, he's really back to the past. And an entire three years at that. He started to see the light in the darkness.

"I can be Kurokocchi's light." he said, half in joy half in disbelief. "I can actually be Kurokocchi's light!" he then squealed in delight at realizing what he just said. He then snickered, "Tough luck, Aominecchi. This time around, Kurokocchi's mine!" He then headed over to the face-basin and proceeded to brush his teeth.

 

...

...

 

Darkness.

Kuroko didn't know whether or not his eyes were opened. There was nothing but pitch-black darkness, but one thing was sure to the blue-haired teen, he felt as though he was floating. To him, it seemed that he was in a void, a space, and sadly, with nowhere to go. It was then that he wondered if he was dreaming, dreaming of the emptiness that he felt because of the Touou match.

But, then, Kuroko felt like he was in a whirlpool. All around him darkness spun, but strangely, he didn't move. Kuroko then tried to stretch a hand out, but found that he couldn't move his body. More like, he was paralyzed. He felt nothing, not in his arms and legs, nowhere. He couldn't even feel the beat of his heart.

Just then, he saw the images of when he and Kise were in the locker room after his defeat from Touou, the pain and anguish resurfacing.

" _I've always wished that I was your light instead."_

" _I wish so too."_

He remembered when he had said that, and at the time, he had really meant it. Aomine had totally forgotten their friendship, his love for basketball. Kagami had then said something that didn't mean what he had thought but it had hurt nonetheless. But the main thing was still there, he had felt abandoned...twice.

" _Maybe things would have been better if I had met Kise-kun first."_

That too. After lying in his bed last night, he was really thinking what his middle school days would have been if he hadn't met Aomine first...if Aomine wasn't his _light._ Kise was quite attached to him, and even though the team had turned out to be monsters, Kise wasn't as terrible as the rest were. Sure, he was just as conceited as the rest, but there was a time, where Kuroko could have seen that the blond was _different._ But then he was taken out of his thoughts as a bright light shone in his face. He closed his eyes, to evade the brightness as he couldn't use his arms as a shield.

_Beep. Beep. Beep._

Kuroko opened his eyes to the sound. He quickly sprang up, as just a second ago he was floating in darkness. Looking at himself, he realized that he was in his bed, in his pyjamas. Placing a hand at his heart, he sighed a relief. That 'dream' had been all too vivid for his liking, and he was finally glad that he was back in his room. He then got off his bed and headed towards his dresser to turn off the annoying clock.

_06:45 am._

He paused. It just dawned on him that it was a Sunday, so why was his alarm clock going off? And secondly, he sets his alarm for six thirty. He's never changed the time, the only moment in his life that he'd ever done so, was when he was starting Seirin, since it was a bit further than Teikou was, he'd have to change it. This was strange. He knew that his parents wouldn't have changed his time without informing him, not that they needed to, so what was going on?

It was then that he realized it. He was in pyjamas! He'd stop sleeping in these things for years now, but he knew that when he went to bed yesterday, he was _not_ in pyjamas. Hell, he didn't even own any anymore. Seeing his bed, he noticed that the sheets were different as well, and Kuroko was finding it hard to believe his eyes. There's no way his sheets could have changed without him noticing.

Kuroko stumbled backwards, but ended up bumping in the dresser. That was when he saw it. His face wasn't the one that he went to bed with. His face was still his, but it was _smaller_ than usual. His face was more round than angular, his eyes were a bit bigger.

"I've gotten…" Kuroko started, placing a hand on his cheek. "…younger? What?" he then opened the closet door and what he saw left him shocked. His Teikou uniform was there. Not Seirin's Gakuran, but Teikou. He knew that his parents wouldn't joke around like this, so why was this happening?

Indeed, something was _strange._

"Tetsu-chan!" His mother's voice took him out of his thoughts. "Breakfast is ready!"

But strangely, Kuroko couldn't find it in him to move. This was all too surreal…but at the same time, he felt at ease. If he was now back in his days at Teikou, then that would mean the other miracles weren't the heartless monsters that they are…were? Kuroko then shook his head. "There's no need to over think." He then headed to the bathroom, hoping that a warm shower would be able to calm him down.

After he was done, he then got dressed and headed down the stairs. When he looked in the kitchen, he saw that his parents were already by the table. Silently, he took his seat and reached for his plate.

"Are you alright, Tetsuya?" his father asked. "You look a bit pale."

"No, Dad. I'm fine." He responded.

"Hikaru-kun, there's no cause for concern." she said, pointing her fork in Kuroko's direction. "If Tetsuya is sick, he'll tell us." she then turned to look at him. "Right, Tetsu-chan?"

"Yes Mom." he managed to voice out.

But then, he heard his father call him again. Looking up at the man, he saw that Hikaru was looking at him with a strange expression.

"Is there something on my face?"

"No, why aren't you dressed for school, Tetsuya?" Hikaru asked.

Kuroko almost choked. "It isn't a Sunday?" he really didn't know the date and he didn't even look at his phone. _How careless of me!_

His parents laughed at him. "You're way off, Tetsu-chan! Today's a Tuesday."

"Oh." he then put down his fork. "Well, I'll be getting dressed then." Without even waiting for his parents' reply, Kuroko swiftly made his way up the stairs.

 

...

...

 

Kise walked through Teikou's gates with an air of unease, his father still hadn't driven off as yet. Both parents had found it hard to allow him to go to school, but the blond had been persistent. With a sigh, they gave in, but made sure to warn the boy that if he felt ill, give either of them a call.

For once, Kise was not his usual bubbly self, instead, he carefully scanned the school yard for any signs of Kuroko. Deep down, he knew that finding the boy would be a task, especially in crowded areas. He sighed deeply, and made his way to class.

_I guess I'll have to look for him in basketball practice..._ Kise thought. But then he remembered something from seeing the date. _I'm in my first year! I didn't join the basketball club until next year!_ Kise dragged his hand over his face in distress. _I'd have to sign up, again._ He then reached his classroom and as usual, his fangirls greeted him. He only replied with a small smile, and took his seat. He pondered about what he will say to Kuroko when he meets him. But, reality struck.

_What if Kurokocchi didn't travel back like I did? I can't just be friendly off the bat!_ He groaned aloud. When he had wished to be Kuroko's light, he never imagined that he'd have to regain his trust, re-earn his friendship...everything. He sunk down into his chair further, strangely, he felt exhausted and the school day hasn't even started as yet.

However, the gods seemed to have wanted to aid the boys.

A scream took him out of his thoughts. He looked in the direction of the scream and saw a girl holding her chest in shock.

"I'm sorry!" she said. "I didn't see you there!"

"It's alright." the boy replied.

Kise's eyes brightened. Without even thinking, forgetting about what he thought not too long ago, he flew out of his seat and into the hallway, embracing the boy into a bone-crushing hug. "Kurokocchi!" he squealed as he spun around with the boy.

...

So far, Kuroko had arrived at school without incident. At first, he wanted to stay home to get his mind straight, but something told him to go to school. He made his way through the gates, but his eyes caught a familiar blond. He stopped and looked at him, but seeing the look on Kise's face made him wonder. He's not used to seeing him look so unsettled before, but he then saw something else. It seemed as though he was searching for something. He then made his way to the classroom as he doubts that Kise had travelled back as well.

But, before going to class, Kuroko had made a detour to the first gym. He didn't know what caused him to visit the gym, but then he found himself at the doors. He then pushed the door open taking in the sight of the empty court. As he stood there, memories both pleasant and unpleasant resurfaced. He remembered the fun that they used to have, everyone laughing and such, he remembered the practices where Kise and Aomine would be fighting over who he should pass to, he remembered the times when Nijimura would be seen hauling Haizaki's half dead body to practice. He actually laughed at that memory.

But the sour memories left a nasty stain on him. Aomine and Murasakibara not showing up for practice, Kise and Midorima off doing their own thing. He remembered the times when Akashi had changed into someone that he didn't know. He remembered when they stopped believing in teamwork...he remembered it all.

"Now that I'm back here, I'll never let history repeat." Kuroko said with determination. He then moved off from the gym, finally heading to class. "By the hook or the crook, I'll prevent that horrid future."

He increased his pace as he neared the building and swiftly changed his shoes at the locker. He then made his way up the stairs, and as he was passing the door to class 1-A, a girl had exited in a rush, and ended up crashing into him.

"I'm sorry!" she said, clutching her chest in shock. "I didn't see you there!"

Kuroko had then gotten up onto his feet, brushing off his pants. "It's alright." he said. But when he was about to move off, he heard an all too familiar screech:

"Kurokocchi!" before he could react, he was caught in a bone-crushing hug, his face pressed up against the person's chest.

Kise.

The blond was the only one who addressed him as such, but right now Kuroko needed air. He pats the blond's back to indicate that he was stifling; he even tried to push away from him.

"Kise-kun, I...can't...breathe..."

"Sorry!" Kise released him and rubbed the back of his neck. But then, he realized what he just did. He _hugged_ Kuroko, he called him _Kurokocchi_. He started to fret. _Shit! What did I just do!? Kurokocchi doesn't know me yet!_ He inwardly screamed. He didn't even realize that Kuroko had called him by his name. "Look, I...I...I..." Kise tried to find an excuse but nothing came out.

"Kise-kun," Kuroko called out to him to gain his attention. From the way he acted, he knew that that Kise was from the future as well.

"Eh?" Kise couldn't believe his ears. "Did you just…?"

Wordlessly, Kuroko grabbed the blond's wrist and walked briskly down the hallway. Everyone that was there could only look on with shock, as they've never seen Kise act that way towards someone before. The two boys then headed down the stairs, surprisingly, Kise had not said a word. When they were at the base of the steps, Kuroko then spoke.

"Hello, Kise-kun."

"Hello?" he replied with uncertainty. "You're Kurokocchi, right? Seirin's Kurokocchi, right?"

"Yes, Kise-kun."

The blond looked like he was about to explode from happiness and made a lunge at the blue-haired boy. Swiftly, Kuroko dodged it just in time, causing Kise to crash face-first into the wall.

"Kurokocchi! Why'd you move?!" he whined as he held onto his nose.

"You hugged me already didn't you?" He said.

"But I wanted to again!" Kise pouted, wiping his face.

Kuroko sighed. "What do you plan to do now that you're back in time?" he then asked.

"Well..." he started. He then sucked in a breath and spoke. "...I want to become your light this time around!" He then held his breath again, closing his eyes, awaiting Kuroko's reply. When about a minute had passed, the blond opened his eyes, so see Kuroko's reaction. The smaller boy was only staring at him. "Sorry, I ―"

"Fine." he cut him off.

"Eh?"

"I said fine. I'll be your shadow."

Kise looked like he was about to tear up. "Thanks Kurokocchi!"

"But in exchange, you'll have to help me with something."

"Sure! Anything!" he chirped.

"If the other miracles haven't come back here, we're going to prevent them from becoming what they did. I'm not sure how we'll go about it as yet but I can't let it happen either way."

Kise's face then got serious. "Alright. I agree with you, this time other teams won't need to feel crushed and hopeless after they've finished playing us."

"But, since you're here, I won't be surprised if the others are as well." Kuroko looked pale in his face after he said that statement. "That won't be good."

"Don't give up hope just yet, Kurokocchi!" Kise perked. "You'll never know, maybe it's just us here."

But before any one of them could say anything more, the bell rung, signalling that classes were about to start. The two then headed up the stairs to their respective classrooms, Kise in class 1-A while Kuroko was next door in class 1-B.

...

The moment Kise had entered his class for the second time, it was then that he had noticed something that he didn't in his past life. There, over by the window and sitting in the first seat was none other than Akashi Seijuurou. _We were in the same class in first year?!_ He inwardly screamed. _How could I not notice that unbelievably bright hair?!_

Kise then collected himself, and walked to his seat, which was at the back in the third row. When he sat, he found himself staring at the small redheaded teen, as if trying to bore a hole in his head. He then took out a notebook to begin doodling, one of the advantages of being back into the past was that he'll breeze through the classes with ease. He then heard the sound of a chair being pulled out, and when he looked up again, he saw that the teacher had arrived. Upon seeing the teacher, he groaned loudly.

Now he remembered why he had always hated Tuesdays...first period was Math.

"This is going to be a nightmare." He mumbled to himself. "I can't wait for the day to end and I see Kurokocchi."

...

Kuroko slipped into his class unnoticed as usual, and made his way to his seat. The classroom was filled with chatter, the students taking part in conversations spanning different topics. When the teacher had entered, the classroom was suddenly engulfed in silence, and after he greeted them, he turned his back to them and began writing on the board.

Unlike Kise, his first session for the day was English, this was one of the few subjects that he doesn't mind. And now that he's from the future, passing all his classes should be a piece of cake.

"Travelling back in time isn't so bad after all." he smiled to himself.

...

After going through three periods of classes, the bell then rung, signalling lunch time. As fast as lightning, Kise dashed out of the classroom, heading to the cafeteria. There were two main reasons for this, one: today was the day that the special was being served, and two: he couldn't wait to meet his Kurokocchi. After the boy had agreed to be his shadow, Kise felt like he was on cloud nine. _It is a great day indeed._

However, in his haste, he had failed to notice a boy walking pass the door. The blond slammed into him, the two crashing to the floor.

"Sorry!" he shouted quickly in defense.

"Can't you look where you're going, nanodayo?!" the boy shouted.

Kise stopped. The boy had jade green hair neatly combed in a sweep to the right. His green eyes were furious as he fixed his lopsided frames on his face. He then motioned to pick up something else, a spray bottle, and in doing so, it drew attention to his neatly taped fingers. Kise almost laughed out.

"I'm truly sorry, Midorima―" Kise broke off as he had almost added -cchi to the boy's name. Hell, he wasn't supposed to call the green-haired boy by his name.

"You know me?" Midorima then asked.

"No, not really." Kise answered swiftly, all the while thinking of an excuse. "It's just that people talk about you and your awkwardness a lot." As he said that he dashed off from the boy, not wanting to arouse anymore suspicion. But somehow, it placed a smile on his face. _Two down, two more to go._ He started humming, as that was one less miracle to worry about. But then his face became downcast as he thought about Aomine.

_What if he's back here? Will I ever get to be Kurokocchi's light?_

He sighed aloud. He didn't want that to happen. For once, he just wanted Kuroko to be his and his alone. Aomine had already done enough damage...he's here to help Kuroko with the repair. He then chuckled to himself,

_Am I becoming possessive or something?_

He quickly dismissed that thought and entered the cafeteria. Inside wasn't as jammed pack _yet,_ so before that happens; he made sure to work quickly. Almost sprinting up to the front, he ordered and then scanned the place for any signs of the light-blue haired boy. But so far, so bad. He then wondered where Kuroko would eat lunch, as crowded areas aren't to the boy's liking.

"You're here quickly, Kise-kun."

"Uwaah!" Kise jumped as he hadn't noticed Kuroko come up beside him. "Kurokocchi, I was just looking for you."

"I saw." he chuckled. Kise raised an eyebrow but afterwards he grinned. _Kurokocchi laughed! He laughed!_ He was practically screaming from joy in his head, but he dared not to show it.

The two then made their way to an empty table, which was all the way in the back of the cafeteria. As they did so, more students poured in, but it was then that one crossed their paths. He was extremely tall, and had shoulder length purple hair. He was munching on a maiubo but he didn't see them, and thus, ended up walking straight into Kuroko.

"Huh?" he said lazily.

"Kurokocchi!" Kise screeched as he made his way to assist the smaller boy. When he held him up under his arm, he then looked at Murasakibara. "You need to be more careful of your surroundings."

"What?" when he came to, he saw the light-blue haired teen in Kise's arms. With an alarmed look, he then said, "I'm sorry, I really didn't see you."

"It's alright." Kuroko replied. He was finally steady on his feet.

"Here's a maiubo." the purple haired giant offered as he turned to walk away. "Sorry about not seeing you."

Neither boy said anything but look at Murasakibara's retreating back. Kise couldn't help it, he grinned like a fool. He still held Kuroko's underarms and the boy kept constantly shrugging off his hands to indicate that he needed to let go. When that proved to be futile, he called out instead.

"Kise-kun, thank you for your help, but please release me."

"Oh right! Sorry!" he said with a sheepish smile.

They then moved off towards the table, and sat down. Wordlessly, the two had then started eating their lunch, Kise was itching to start talking to Kuroko. He found that he was more excited than usual, just because, Kuroko had agreed to be his shadow.

"The first thing that I think we should do is have you register for the club." Kuroko started, taking Kise out of his thoughts.

"Yeah," Kise answered after swallowing. "I was thinking about doing that this morning. I can't wait to start playing basketball!" he then chirped. "I'll be sure to catch all your passes, Kurokocchi!"

"Hmm, sure." Kuroko replied with nonchalance. "But I'm currently in the third string. So make sure you're there as well." He gave Kise a look. "We can't work together if you're in a different string."

"Right." He nodded. "But, could we do something else?" he then suggested.

"Like...?"

"Could we, umm, have our own practices? I mean, since we're in our thirteen year old bodies, we aren't strong enough to do what our sixteen year old bodies could and so I thought..." he trailed off, looking away from Kuroko. The blue-haired teen had on a small smile but he knew what Kise was getting at. However, he felt a bit mischievous, so he didn't say anything to the blond, causing ― _forcing_ ― him to finish his point. "...I thought that maybe we improve ourselves. You know, like, we could improve our stamina, and speed and..." his face brightened, "We could hone the skills we already have to perfection!"

"Sure. I agree." he said in his usual monotone. But, somewhere beneath that blank look, Kuroko was actually smiling.

"It seems like it's only us who have travelled back."

"How can you be so sure?" Kuroko asked. "Even though we've just encountered Murasakibara-kun, he's just one."

"Well, I bumped into Midorimacchi today, and he doesn't recognize me. Also, I'm in the same class as Akashicchi; if he had come back, he would have _definitely_ said _something_ to me by now."

"Hmm..." Kuroko said with a nod. "I haven't seen anyone else. I don't share a classroom with either of them until second year. But..." he then trailed off. "...if all those don't know us then Aomine-kun and Momoi-san haven't travelled back either. I think it would be strange if only those two or Aomine-kun travelled back with us."

"True, and plus, I don't think Aominecchi would have a reason to travel back." Kise chuckled. He then smiled. "So, it's just us then. All the better." he mumbled the last part of the sentence but Kuroko heard and raised an eyebrow. However, he then dismissed it as Kise being Kise.

"Ah mou ~" he heard the blond groaned out.

"What's wrong?"

"I just realized that to be in third string, I'll have to pretend that I can't do much in basketball." the way the blond looked, he seemed to be in agony. "This is going to be a pain."

"Don't worry, Kise-kun." Kuroko smiled at the boy. "We'll make it to the first string before we even know it."

The moment Kuroko said this, Kise couldn't help but grin. "Right, Kurokocchi!"

...

Further up from the two, settled around a table by the window, there were five individuals, all of which had unusually bright coloured hair. The shortest of the bunch sat by the window, and beside him was the only female of the group. In front of them sat three others; in the corner at the window was the green-haired teen with glasses, beside him in the middle was a tanned boy, who had dark blue hair and lastly, at the end, was the tallest of the group, who had shoulder length purple hair.

"What's happened to you, Midorima-kun?" the small redheaded teen asked. "You seem to be in a foul mood."

"A blond buffoon crashed into me earlier, sending me and my lucky item to the floor!" Midorima seethed. "He must've been a Gemini. Oha-Asa had predicted that I should be wary of them."

"Seriously Midorima?!" the tanned one laughed. His midnight blue eyes sparkled with amusement. "I still can't believe that you listen to that thing!"

"I still can't understand how we're all eating together." He retorted. He then turned to redhead, "Akashi, you know I can't stand that ruffian! Why is he here?!"

"Who're you calling a ruffian!?"

"Mido-chin, Mine-chin," the tallest of them drawled lazily. He had a look of drowsiness in his purple eyes. "Just eat your food."

"Shut up, Murasakibara!" the two boys attacked.

"Midorima-kun," Akashi replied coolly. "We're going to be stuck on the same team for three years. It's best that we get used to each other by now. As a matter of fact, it has already been a month."

"Hmph." He said while adjusting his glasses.

"Come on, Midorin!" the only girl of the group perked. She had long pink hair and matching eyes. "Akashi-kun is right! You should just get used to Dai-chan!"

"Be quiet, Satsuki!"

"Aomine-kun, I don't understand why you're being so defensive." Akashi said with a sly smirk. "There is truth to what Momoi-san is saying."

"Not you too!"

The entire table then erupted with laughter, however, for Aomine he was grumbling in discontent. Even Midorima, turned to the window to hide small smile on his face.


	3. Chapter 3

...

" _The first step towards getting somewhere is to decide you're_

_not going to stay where you are._ _"_

\- John Pierpont Morgan

...

...

 

As the bell rang, most of the students mobilized out of the room almost immediately, while some stayed back a while to chat. Kise was one such who left the classroom even before the teacher, his excitement apparent on his beautiful face. He stood at the end of the hallway, waiting for Kuroko to leave his classroom. At lunch, the two boys had agreed that Kise should sign up for the club today, as saving the miracles was an urgent matter and to do that, they needed to get into the first string before they start to change.

"I can't believe I get to be Kurokocchi's light." Even though he said it, Kise found it hard to realize that this is reality. Of all the time in the past, he was always jealous of Aomine, but now... "If this is a dream, I rather not wake up." He mumbled to himself. He then looked at his time once again, but as soon as he he looked up, there Kuroko was, standing before him.

"Uwaah!" Kise almost screamed. Kuroko chuckled. "Kurokocchi! Don't scare me so much in one day! I'll die of heart failure!"

"Sorry Kise-kun," Kuroko replied. However, he was not sorry at all. Deep down, Kuroko found it extremely amusing whenever he scares people. "Now, let's get to the Sports Department."

"Ah, right." the blond said, following behind Kuroko who had started to walk off. Strangely, the two boys walked in silence side-by-side, Kise hating the silence. He then remembered what they had talked about earlier, Kuroko saying that he wanted to save the miracles.

" _We're going to prevent the others from becoming what they did. I'm not sure how we'll go about it as yet but I can't let it happen either way."_

Kise paused to think. If using himself as an example, then it would take defeat to get them to wake up ― er in this case, prevent them from thinking that they're invincible. But a part of Kise felt like he isn't ready to face Aomine. Sure, he copied his skills from the future, but he's now thirteen. The strain that his body went through left him unable to get up when he was sixteen, imagine how destroyed he'd feel if he tried to use them now. _Shit, I'd have to strengthen my body first._ He thought.

"...se-kun." the blond was taken out of his thoughts when he heard Kuroko's voice. "Kise-kun."

"Kurokocchi?"

"Are you alright? You seemed to be lost for a while there."

"Ah, I was just thinking on something that's all."

"Oh."

The two then reached one of the administrative buildings, and quickly entered. They then made their way swiftly up the stairs, walking down a hallway lined with doors. Each one of these doors led to a different department and was arranged in alphabetical order. After passing numerous doors, they then reached the desired door, Kuroko knocked thrice. For some reason, Kise felt uneasy, as he didn't know what to say in order to be admitted in the third string. He started to make up excuses in his head, seeing which one would be the best choice. Sadly, he can't remember what he had said in the past to join. So far, he has three excuses, all of which he doubts would get the adviser to even consider him. One: 'I love the sport but can't play it', two: 'I've never played basketball before, but I want to learn', three: 'A friend encouraged me to try the sport so here I am'.

"Enter!" a gruff voice shouted from the opposite side of the door. The boys complied and made their way in. Behind the desk, there sat an older man, with light gray hair which was combed back. He had a few wrinkles in his face and wore a pleasant smile. He was none other than Shirogane Kōzō, the head coach. He then asked, "What brings you here?" He totally hadn't seen Kuroko. Not that the blue-haired teen minded.

"Umm," Kise started. "I'd like to join the basketball club."

The man raised his eyebrows. He then did what seemed to be inspecting Kise, looking at the boy up and down. "You look like you could be quite dangerous."

"I've never played basketball before." Kise lied.

"Eh? Then why do you want to join? You'll be placed in the third string. Getting up to the first string, let alone the regulars may take until you're in your third year."

"A friend encouraged me to try the sport so here I am." Kise decided to go with the third excuse. From his past when he had joined in his second year, he knew what the third string was like...not that he spent a long time there either way. To him, it seemed like it was the string for the 'what-lefts', for the people who the other two strings hasn't accepted. He then stole a glance in Kuroko's direction and somehow felt a feeling of admiration rising in his chest. Even though he couldn't do anything, he still kept trying, and all his effort managed to get him on the regulars. _You really are amazing Kurokocchi_.

"Are you sure about joining this club?" Shirogane asked, taking the blond out of his thoughts. "It isn't for people who aren't serious about basketball. If you only want to learn, you can find many other means of doing so."

"I am serious." he replied with determination. "Even though I can't play right now, I'll learn to. And then, I'll make it to the first string, before my third year and contribute to this school by winning."

Shirogane chuckled at him. "Alright. Here's a form." he handed it to Kise after taking it out of his drawer. "You can bring it back tomorrow when you're through."

"Can I just hand it in today? I can give it to the third string coach, if you don't mind."

"That's fine by me."

"Yay! You hear that Kurokocchi!?" Kise chirped, throwing a hand around the boy's shoulder.

"Of course I would. I'm standing beside you after all." they then exited the room without even a look back at Shirogane. However, the older man had to grab his chest as he felt as though his heart would have jumped out.

"Has he been there the entire time?"

...

As they left the administrative building, Kuroko headed straight towards the locker room, as the smaller boy needed to attend basketball practice, while Kise went to the gym. Kise didn't bring any change of clothing, well, since he was frightened out of his wits this morning, and he wasn't a part of the club. Since Kuroko was changing, he had decided to head into the third gym, to start filling out the form. When he opened the door, he was appalled that the gym was next to empty. Sitting on the stage was the coach, if his memory serves him right, Matsuoka Daigo. There were no players there...well not yet...hopefully.

Kise then greeted the coach, Matsuoka replied with a nod. However, he was wondering as to why this blond had walked in the gym with his uniform on. Hell, he knew that the boy wasn't a part of the third string. Matsuoka then sighed. He thought that Kise believed that the gym was vacant and could be used as a spot to relax. He then saw the boy come up and sat on the stage, but he wasn't close to him. He then took out a pen and a notebook and began writing swiftly on a sheet of paper. Within a minute or probably less, Kise then hopped down and headed into Matsuoka's direction.

"I'd like to join the basketball club." he said. "I've just filled out my sign up form." he handed the paper to the coach, who took it with uncertainty. "Since I don't have any change of clothing, I'll just be watching for today."

"But this is the third string." Matsuoka started. "It's not as awesome as you think." he then continued, "You may not like what you see."

"I don't care. I'm here to become Kurokocchi's Light and save those miracles. Everything else is secondary." he responded absentmindedly.

"Huh?"

As if on cue, Kuroko entered through the doors, and walked over to where Kise and Matsuoka were. He greeted the man, Kise looking as though he wanted to grab Kuroko at any time. However, seeing that the gym was empty and remembering the training that he used to receive, Kuroko started jogging. Of course, he dragged Kise with him. Not that the blond minded either. The boys jogged around the court, engaging in a conversation.

"Ne, Kurokocchi." Kise said.

"Hmm," Kuroko replied.

"Have you thought of a way to save the others yet?"

"I have." Kuroko replied. "I was thinking that you and I defeat them. Two-on-two."

"I see. I was actually thinking the same thing earlier today." he smiled.

"They do say that great minds think alike."

Hearing that, Kise brightened. He then went into what seemed to be bliss, Kuroko jabbed him in his side, bringing him back to reality. "What was that for Kurokocchi!?"

"You looked like an idiot."

"Mou ~" he pouted.

Just then, more players began streaming in, and even though the boys had remembered their faces from the past, they couldn't remember their names. They shrugged it off as a minor thing, they'll eventually re-learn their names anyway. Upon seeing Kise and Kuroko jogging, some had fallen into place with the two boys, poor Kise was bombarded with questions right throughout.

...

After practice was over, everyone filed out of the gym, except for Kise and Kuroko. The latter had indicated to the blond prior that he should stay back after everyone had left. Since Kise had his bag, Kuroko walked over to where it was and took out his notebook, not caring that the boy used it for school. He also fished for a pen and when he found it, headed back over to where Kise was.

"Let's begin." Kuroko deadpanned as he took a seat beside Kise on the floor.

"Begin what?"

"What we're going to be doing until we make it out of the third string."

"But first, how long will that take? This string is depressing. I want to leave as quickly as I can."

"Well, I don't want to cause any suspicion or unnecessary attention, like what you did in the past." Kuroko replied. "But it will be wise to move up from this string, as we wouldn't be able to play in any matches while here. So how about reaching the second string in September? That's after summer holidays."

"Sure, since we're already in May, we only have two months left before summer starts." Kise nodded in agreement. "We could also use August as a month for training."

"Right. And then we can make it to the first string by our second year." Kuroko nodded. "After all, that's when they start behaving like asses anyway."

"Pfft!" Kise laughed. "Did you just call them asses?"

"Yes, I did."

"So what do you have in mind?"

"It was your idea, you should tell me what to do."

Kise sighed. "It was just a suggestion, Kurokocchi!"

"A suggestion that makes sense nonetheless. Come on, now what is our modus operandi?" Kuroko was actually being playful right here.

"Well, I think that the first thing we should do is that we strengthen ourselves. I mean, we have our abilities from the future, but I doubt that our current bodies are able to keep up."

"Okay." Kuroko replied as he scribbled in the book. "So we'll do road runs, jogs and push-ups, then." he then looked up at the blond, "That's the first week. The second week I think we should improve our speed. We'll do sprints at that time."

"With weights!" Kise perked. "That way, we'll be super-fast when we take them off!"

"Are you trying to kill me?"

"We'll be taking on monsters two-on-two. Of course we're going to have to kill off ourselves first."

"I'm not amused." Kuroko said. "But…you do have a point." he then mumbled.

Immediately, the blond perked up. And thus, the two continued to make their plans, as Kuroko scribbled both his and Kise's ideas, he was starting to get pale. If when he was sixteen his body couldn't keep up with Riko's training, he'll definitely die this time around. However, he knew that it was for a _very_ good cause.

After the boys were finished with their planning, Kuroko then retrieved the ball and threw it to Kise. The blond caught it with ease and when he looked at Kuroko's face, he knew what the boy intended. Swiftly getting up onto his feet, Kise bounced the ball thrice before driving towards the net. When he reached close enough, he made a jump, doing his famous one-handed dunk…

_Crash._

Kise landed face-first onto the floor, groaning as he got up onto his feet. Kuroko didn't know how to feel. He was torn between the two emotions of laughter and worry. He then made his way over to the blond who was already standing, but he had a nosebleed.

"Damn," he heard Kise say. "I've totally forgotten that I'm shorter now."

Looking at Kise's face, that's when Kuroko laughed. He let out a small chuckle first but then it turned into full blown laughter. Kise wouldn't miss this. He stood and stared at the boy, as if trying to burn the image into his memory. Kuroko then went closer to him, and proceed to wipe his face.

"That was dangerous. You could have seriously hurt yourself." he said. "But more importantly, I can't believe that you had overlooked that fact. When we came back to the past, it should have been obvious that we hadn't brought along our sixteen year old bodies as well."

"Yeah, but this is a serious problem." Kise said with a groan. "I'd have to re-adjust myself to my new height."

"It shouldn't be hard right? After all, you were thirteen before."

"Ah right." he chuckled.

"Good." Kuroko then walked closer to the net with the ball in hand. When he was at his desired spot, he turned in Kise's direction. "Now, let's get down to business." Kuroko then tossed the ball high into the air, the former ace then moving on impulse and jumped for it. He then slammed it into the net, the ball bounced with a bang!

As Kise landed, a grin that stretched from ear-to-ear appeared on his face, he was living his dream. He was going to be Kurokocchi's light and there was no one that could stop him...A blissful sigh escaped his lips. He couldn't wait to start playing basketball. He couldn't wait to defeat the other miracles in the two-on-two. He couldn't _wait._ Kuroko, on the other hand, kept wondering if the blond was alright. Earlier today, he was zoning out as well, Kuroko was starting to fret if this was some of sort side effect to them travelling back.

"Kise-kun, are you ill?" he ended up asking.

"Uh, no. I was thinking on how awesome the rest of our middle school years will be." he smiled. "By the way, are you going to be my shadow throughout Teikou or are you only to be Aominecchi's once we've saved him?"

"I'll be your shadow, Kise-kun." Kuroko replied. "Aomine-kun..." the smaller boy paused before turning his face away from Kise. "...already had his chance." he then mumbled but it was loud enough for Kise to hear. The pain from his match between Touou lingered, it wasn't as though he hated Aomine, but after that, he really couldn't see himself as Aomine's shadow anymore.

Hearing what Kuroko said, the blond felt something in his chest. He was then realizing that it must've been painful, extremely painful, to have gone through what he did. He then began to wonder what was going through the smaller boy's mind about this whole ordeal. They will save Aomine...but the bond that they had in the past will no longer be there. To Aomine, it never existed. Kise then felt horrible. Even though he had always wanted this, _yearned_ for it to happen, he felt as though he was robbing Kuroko and Aomine of their friendship...their _partnership._

"Am I really worthy enough to be called Kurokocchi's Light?" he ended up thinking out loud. Kuroko heard and swiftly spun around. Catching the look on Kise's face, he now had an idea of what was causing the blond to zone out today. He was thinking about _this._

"Kise-kun." he called out to him. The blond looked at him, surprised. "You are more than worthy of becoming my 'Light'. After all, you were the one who saved me from the 'darkness' that I was drowning myself in."

"Kurokocchi..."

"So stop thinking about unnecessary things. We have lots of work to do if we are to make it to the second string by September."

"Ah, right." Kise reverted to being his chirpy self. "How about, just for today, I learn how to catch your passes?"

Kuroko gave Kise a startled look. "Just for today? You are my Light now, Kise-kun. You won't be learning to catch my passes just for today. When I'm done with you, you're going to be able to catch my passes with your eyes closed."

Hearing those words, Kise was nothing short of ecstatic as he got into position.


	4. Chapter 4

...

" _Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection,_

_we can catch excellence."_

_-_ Vince Lombardi

 

...

...

 

_Beep. Beep. Beep._

Kuroko groaned aloud as he reached for his alarm clock. Slamming his hand down on the button, he managed to stop the annoying sound. However, he still got up out of his bed, albeit groggily, and headed towards the door without even a glance at the mirror. It was just 05:45 am, but by the time both he and Kise reached the street court it'll be roughly 06:00. That only left them about twenty minutes to do what they had planned out.

It was a fairly simple strategy that they had come up with; in the mornings, they'd strengthen up their bodies by jogging, sprinting (sadly with weights on), sit-ups and push-ups etc. In the evening, they'd go to their basketball training, and after that, they'd have their own training, improving on the skills that they already have, in Kuroko's case, learning other things apart from passing, in Kise's case trying to perfect his copies of the miracles.

He had entered the bathroom and then proceeded to brush his teeth, and after he was done, he then headed into the shower. With a deep sigh, he washed his body clean. After about, ten minutes, he emerged from the bathroom, his lower body wrapped in a towel. Re-entering his room, Kuroko then put on a pair of green shorts and a black t-shirt. He then put on his sneakers and took up his bag.

Heading downstairs, he made his way to his kitchen and took out two bottles of water. He wasn't even sure if he'd need that much, but, one can never be too certain. Quickly stuffing them into the bag, he exited his house, jogging towards the street court. 

 

...

...

 

_Brriinngg. Brrriiinnngg._

Kise rose up like a zombie at the sound. Slowly, he got off his bed and headed towards towards the dresser where the alarm clock rested. He had moved it from his bedside table, as he knew that if it was still there, he'd simply turn it off and go back to sleep. With it on his dresser, he was _forced_ to get up. He finally made it over, and swiftly, he turned off the blaring sound.

He then looked at himself in the mirror, and sighed. He was a mess. He hadn't looked so terrible since Seirin had beaten Kaijou, but still for a model of his caliber, he was atrocious. He shrugged it off, and headed into the bathroom. The first thing he did was brushed his teeth, after which he then moisturized his hair. He then stepped over in the shower. After some minutes, he exited the shower, face glowing, and hair sparkling.

He then hummed happily towards his room where he got dressed. He had chosen to wear a black sweat pants and a white t-shirt. He had also put on his weights, as this morning, he and Kuroko were going to be jogging. He then put on his sneakers and grabbed his bag after which he headed towards the kitchen. He took out his water bottle out of the fridge, and then exited the house.

The streets were quiet and peaceful, even though there were a few cars passing by now and then. Deciding to warm up his body before, Kise then jogged towards his destination. It was a light jog, but because the weights for Kuroko were in his bag, it weighed him down a bit. But, he didn't mind at all.

He then came to a crossroad, he looked left and right and then he made his way to the other side. He couldn't wait until the light indicated that it was safe to cross. There wasn't any vehicle coming. After he made it safely across, he started humming as he knew that he neared the street court. But what made him truly happy was the fact that he lived close by to Kuroko. When he had first found out, he nearly tore up, as he couldn't believe that he'd let this opportunity to visit Kuroko's house slip the first time. Even though the boy may not would have wanted to invite him but still…

He was then taken out of his thoughts and the sight of the street court caught the corner of his eye. With a grin, he then sped up into running, entering the premises within no time. He was able to spot Kuroko right away, he paused at that. Usually the boy was the one who'd frighten him first, but now he's able to see him plain as day.

"This Light and Shadow thing has started to take effect, huh." he grinned foolishly. He then skipped merrily towards the boy, who was sitting on the bench and reading a novel. "Good morning Kurokocchi!" he greeted with enthusiasm.

"Oh, good morning as well, Kise-kun." Kuroko said in his usual monotone.

"What's that you're reading?" he asked. But then he took a seat beside the boy and peered in the book. He gasped in realization. "Othello, huh. I never knew that you'd read _that_ Shakespearean novel." he smirked mischievously.

"What are you saying, Kise-kun? It has a lovely plot, obviously I'm going to read it."

"Meh," Kise shrugged. "I think Midsummer is a better one though."

"You must be joking." Kuroko retorted. "The Taming of the Shrew is above all."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"N―"

"I suggest we start our practice. Arguing over which Shakespeare novel is the best won't make us enter the first string and beat the miracles."

"Ah, you're right about that." Kise then went into his bag and took out the leg weights for Kuroko. When the smaller teen saw them, he blanched. Seeing the distressed look on his face, Kise then tried to cheer him up. "Come on Kurokocchi!" he perked. "I have them on too! And plus, mine are heavier! We'll die together!"

But that made it worse. Kuroko then got paler than a sheet.

Seeing the look on Kuroko's face, Kise quickly sprang to his feet, giving Kuroko a radiant smile. Kuroko looked at him petulantly. After strapping the weights onto his ankles, Kuroko then stood up and made a step. His eyes widened as he realized that they weren't so heavy after all. Yes, it still took far more energy than normal, but they were manageable. Without a word to each other, they then jogged off, exiting the street court.

Their route started from the court to the station via the neighbourhood and back. It was that simple. The journey as well was fairly short, but with the weights on, it felt like a cross-country run. Surprisingly to Kuroko, they jogged in silence, and many times he'd stolen a look at Kise's face. The blond was really focused, almost seeming to him that he had tuned out his surroundings. Kuroko made a small smile and continued looking ahead. They jogged in a fairly slow pace, as being first years, their bodies aren't strong enough to what they are used to. After all, they were sixteen year olds within their thirteen year old bodies.

After they had completed their jogging, they then went into their sit-ups. This took some time, as both realized how unfit they were. Kuroko barely managed to do even five, Kise managed to double his and made ten. But after, he collapsed, clutching his abdomen. Kise felt as though his stomach was being ripped apart. He then looked across to Kuroko and saw the boy lying on his side in a foetal position. _Ah, he's feeling it more than I am._ After a couple minutes, and they had felt better, they then went into their push-up session.

The two boys did them the same time, side-by-side each other, but of course, after a couple, Kuroko collapsed after his arms gave way. They felt like jello, and the poor boy was starting to miss his sixteen year old body. At least he was able to do two sets of ten then. A chuckle escaped Kise's lips when he saw Kuroko drop, but he too was in a similar position. His older body would have breezed through this already, but right now, he's struggling horribly. _If Senpai saw me now, he'd say I'm a disgrace._ The blond inwardly cried.

By the time it was six-thirty and time to leave, they were both shaking in their arms and legs. The jogging session with the weights on took a lot out of their legs, what's worse, they were still thirteen so they aren't as strong as they were previously. Now, they'd have to walk back home. Realizing their peril, with a groan, they got up quite lifelessly and began their trek.

 

...

...

 

The school day began, but for Kise and Kuroko, they were deadbeat. The two found it extremely hard to concentrate in their classes, Kuroko managing to sleep due to his lack of presence. However, Kise had it rough. Whenever he tried to sleep, the teacher would spot his golden hair, and proceed to wake him up every time. It was so irritating to both the teacher and Kise, and at one point, the blond was threatened with detention if it persists. After that, Kise fought with all his willpower to not fall asleep again.

By the time it was lunch, Kuroko seemed to have been alive, since he was able to sleep. Kise on the other hand, looked like a zombie. Luckily for him, when he fell asleep, Kuroko hauled his body to the nurse's office and told her that he had fainted. Kise slept until it was the last session for the day.

It was now time for basketball practice, and swiftly, Kise and Kuroko had headed towards the locker rooms to change. They were the first ones out, and without even waiting for the others, they went into training. Even the coach, Matsuoka Daigo was appalled by their tenacity, the two jogged around the field seeming to tune out their surroundings. When more boys came, Matsuoka simply allowed them to join Kise and Kuroko, this seems like a good way to get them warmed-up.

But even though there were others jogging with them, the two were a little further than the rest. One reason, Kise wanted to jog with Kuroko with no one interfering. But, not being the athlete that he is, Kuroko started to drop back, as he began to tire. Kise inwardly frowned at this, as the rest of the boys were catching up. But he knew that with coming days, Kuroko would be up to speed. Literally.

Kise slowed his pace to accommodate the other boy, and continued to jog in peace.

...

After practice was over, the two boys then remained in the gym as before, this time, they decided to split the session in two. The first half would be Kise helping Kuroko to improve his drive and dribble, and the next half would have for the first minute, Kise would be polishing his copy of Aomine and the rest, he would be attempting a copy of Midorima (if time permitted). They were planning on taking this in a fair pace, for Kise, with his copy of Midorima, he'd be starting from the three-point line, then to centre circle and then finally the full court shot. But, for that one, it would be correspondence to their strength training.

"Okay Kurokocchi," Kise beamed. "Let's start with dribbling." Kise then bounced the ball on the spot. "I know that you're itching to work on your drive but I think this will be killing two birds with one stone."

"How so?"

"Well, for your drive, more than likely, you'll be in a dribbling position in front of your defender. So I'll teach you how to dribble, and then it will just flow into your drive."

"Okay,"

"First thing is that you should bounce the ball hard. That way, the ball will return quicker to your hand." Kise then demonstrated this, the sound was louder than the regular. "You can dribble the ball even harder if you want, but that would be downright noisy."

Kuroko made a small smile. He then followed Kise's example, and reproduced the same dribble. The two continued this for a while, until Kuroko got the hang of the dribble. But Kise noticed something about the way Kuroko's hand moved with the ball. It was strange, different from what he knows.

"Kurokocchi, you dribble with your palm?"

"Eh?" even Kuroko himself wasn't even realizing what he was doing. "Oh," he said when he realized. "I guess, it's because I have a habit of passing the ball with my palm, I just..."

"That's not right, though." Kise said. "It's easier to control the ball with your fingers instead. With your palm, it makes your movements a bit rigid and limited."

"I see." Kuroko then said. He then looked at Kise, "For someone who copies others, I'm quite surprised that you can teach me in such a detailed manner."

"That's mean, Kurokocchi!" he pouted. "I practice too, you know!"

"Alright, alright." Kuroko then dribbled the ball, but paid attention to using his fingers instead. It was extremely uncomfortable, since he handled the ball with his palms. He dribbled slowly, taking his time to make sure that he got it right. After a while, he then took up the speed a little, in doing so, he decided to bounce the ball louder. Little by little, Kuroko was getting the hang of it. Kise actually smiled at this, seeing that Kuroko was improving at such an incredible rate. Well, he was already familiar with basketball so…

"You're getting better at this, Kurokocchi." Kise said with a grin.

"I realize," Kuroko responded. "Even though it's a bit uncomfortable."

"Give it some time, after a while, it'll come natural."

"Okay,"

"Onto the next!" Kise then exclaimed. The blond then spread his legs to shoulder width, and with his ball, he then dribble around and between his legs as if writing a figure eight with the pattern. Kise then walked with the dribble, using the back to front, front to back pattern. He walked slowly, so that Kuroko could catch on. As for the light-blue haired teen, he watched with focused eyes, but after a couple steps he caught the pattern. "This dribble exercise doesn't really have a name, but what we do is dribble figure 8's."

"It was an 8?" Kuroko asked. "I thought it was the infinity symbol."

"Pfft!" Kise nearly bust with laughter. After he had calmed down, he then urged Kuroko to do the same. The boy then mimicked Kise's posture, a slightly hunched back and widening of legs. He then started to dribble the eight but before he could complete it, Kise stopped him.

"Kurokocchi, your legs aren't wide enough. They need to be shoulder width." he said as he made his way towards the boy. "Stay," he then stooped to Kuroko's knees and adjusted the boy's feet. "There."

Kuroko felt awkward in this position, as never before as he ever dribbled like this. Well, he hardly ever dribbles in a match. He could only remember that one time in the practice match against Kaijou...apart from that, there was never a need for him to dribble.

"Now, let's go!" Kise perked. Both he and Kuroko started the figure 8 dribble and walked side-by-side, Kise moving at a fairly slow pace so that he could watch Kuroko. The light-blue haired teen was focused on the ball and his feet. Kise stole a look at him and saw that he was immensely focused on this dribbling exercise. It was then that Kise realized how lucky and blessed he was, to be able to play _any_ sport with just one look at the moves. But for the regular person, like Kuroko, they'd gone through trial and error and so many more. That's why, this time around, Kise decided that he'd make use of his ability, not just for himself but since Kuroko wants help, he'll teach him even to shoot like Midorima if he had to (even though that would be extremely impossible).

Pulling himself back to reality, Kise then observed Kuroko from beside him, and found something astonishing. He was actually getting it right. Even though his movements were a bit slow, Kise could see him doing perfectly fine. He couldn't help but grin. Somehow, he was feeling accomplishment, and they haven't even reached anywhere yet.

"Kise-kun, could you please stop grinning?" Kuroko said. "It's creepy."

"Ehh?!" the blond screeched. "Me? Grinning? Creepy?"

"Yes."

"I was just glad that you're getting the dribble right." he pouted.

Kuroko stopped. "It's because you're a great teacher."

Kise's eyes widened. He wanted to embrace the smaller teen in a tight hug, but he restrained himself, much to his own displeasure. But, he figured that he couldn't ruin the moment. And thus, he and Kuroko walked while dribbling figure 8's until they reached the net in one half of the court, and with what seemed to be absentmindedness, Kuroko simply turned and headed back up the court. He continued his dribble, found that he was gradually getting better. It was then that he decided to increase the speed a little bit, but it turned out to be a disaster. The moment he'd done so, the ball bounced away, heading out of the court's boundary.

Kuroko then turned to look at Kise, who was staring at him with a raised brow. "That was a fairly good attempt, Kurokocchi!" he said, trying to cheer up the boy.

"Thank you, Kise-kun." He said as he made his way to the ball.

"Well, let's get this dribbling over with, so that you can help me!" Kise chirped.

Hence, the two continued the dribbling of figure 8's, however, no one could tell Kuroko that what they were shaping out wasn't the infinity symbol.

...

More minutes have passed and since Kuroko was getting better at the dribble, they decided to let him take a break. This meant that it was Kise's turn. Without a hitch, he then started to dribble between his legs. With a dash across the court, he had imagined that he was once more in his high school match against Touou. His eyes then blazed, and when he was close enough to the net, he did one of (future) Aomine's formless shots. After that, he then turned and went back to the centre line, and headed towards the net once again. However, by the time he reached in the paint area, he jumped to make a shot, but instead, he did a fadeaway. But since he was in thirteen year old body, he adjusted himself so that the shot would have made it in.

However, even after doing those two things, he was starting to tire. Well, he expected this as as in the past, he wasn't really that active in sports. Sure he'd sign up and gone to almost all of them, but he hadn't stayed long enough to face the hellish practices. That said, he had a lot of work to do. He then looked across to Kuroko who was watching him keenly, and gave him a thumbs up. With a faint smile, he continued once more, breaking out all of Aomine's tricks that he'd copied from the future past. But one thing he'd never dared to do, and that was to mimic Aomine's speed. He knew he wouldn't be able to walk home after.

After completing all that, Kise jogged over to where Kuroko was, panting heavily. "How..." he started, but took a second to catch his breath. "...was that?"

"You really looked like Aomine-kun from the future." Kuroko replied. But he gave Kise a knowing look. It seemed as though he realized something. "But you didn't use his speed. It's because your body isn't strong enough isn't it?"

"Haa," Kise sighed. "You caught me. In my first year, I was jumping from club to club so I wasn't subjected to the harsh training regimes."

"I see,"

"But don't worry!" he quickly defended. "I'll be back in tip-top shape so that we'll be able to make it to the second string!"

"Who said I was worrying?" Kuroko said, but Kise saw the corners of the boy's mouth curve upwards. The boy then got up, leaving Kise wondering. "I'm going to continue dribbling. I've already rested enough."

Kise slightly pouted. "Alright, I'll watch from the sidelines then." Kuroko had then walked onto the court and Kise then looked at his phone to check the time. "Kurokocchi,"

"Yes?" the boy replied, not stopping his dribbling exercise.

"You have fifteen minutes."

Kuroko frowned. But anyway, he continued dribbling, and after a couple minutes, Kise then joined him, his excuse was that he's keeping his Kurokocchi company. This continued for some more minutes, until they decided that it was time Kuroko started to work on his drive.

Kuroko was in an offensive position before Kise, was on defense. That said, there were absolutely no gaps in the blond's defense. Using the skills that he has learned from the future, Kise didn't dare to ease up on Kuroko, in his mind, the tougher the defense the better the drive will be. Even Kuroko was somewhat happy for this, but there was a huge problem for him. Even though he knew that he wanted to improve his drive, he didn't know _how_ to. He didn't have enough speed to break away quickly, all he had was his invisibility. He then dribbled the ball and made an attempt in passing Kise, but sadly, the blond blocked his way.

"Tsk, tsk," Kise started with a grin. "I'm not letting you go, Kurokocchi. Ever."

"Kise-kun, rephrase that. It sounded a bit...off." Kuroko said. "It makes you seem like a love-struck psychopath."

"Love-struck? Psychopath?" Kise blanched. As usual, Kuroko's choice of words are rather...

"Kise-kun, pay attention." the smaller teen said to him. But even so, Kuroko had gotten an idea. Since he's invisible, he thought of maybe there was a way to pass his defenders without them noticing even though he has the ball.

_I'd have to misdirect his gaze. But how?_ Kuroko had only half the answer. He knew Kise would be next to impossible to break pass, but he had to try this way. He then bounced the ball loudly as Kise had taught him to, drawing the blond's attention to the ball. However, doing that, he was still stuck. Now that Kise was subconsciously looking at the ball, there's no way that he'd be able to pass. He then drew backwards, Kise took a step towards him.

Just then, Kuroko made a dash towards Kise's left but the blond read his movements and moved accordingly. With a grin, he stopped Kuroko's advancement, and shook his head at the boy.

"Hear what Kurokocchi," he started. "Since you don't have the speed to pass me, why don't you try an alternative?"

"I was thinking about misdirecting your gaze, but I don't know how."

"Hmm," Kise said as he tapped his chin in contemplation. "It would be best to misdirect gazes to something behind you, but how will you pull that off?"

"I don't know."

"Alright, one last try! If you don't get it right this time around, we'll just have to do some serious brainstorming."

"Can your brain manage that?" Kuroko muttered but the blond heard. With a loud whine, he made a pout at the smaller teen and even pretended to wipe a tear. But, he quickly recovered and went into position once again. Kuroko dribbled the ball on the spot, but he was still blank on how to use misdirection for a drive. With a sigh, he resigned himself, knowing that they'll be brainstorming.

Kuroko then continued dribbling and then made a dash, however, in doing so, the ball had slipped away from his hand slightly so he ended up ducking lower so as to catch it back in time. In that moment, Kise had realized what happened and stood there staring at the net. Even Kuroko himself, was shocked that Kise hadn't tried to block him.

Coming back to his senses, Kise turned around to see Kuroko standing behind him, the ball rolling away from him.

"Eh?" he said. "I saw you dribble but when did you…?"

"I don't know. The ball slipped from my hand and I was trying to catch it back so I ducked lower than usual..." Kuroko trailed off, realizing the secret. "I've figured it out."

"Please, do tell." Kise said. "I would like to know how it seemed as though you vanished for a second there."

"I guess because I ducked lower than regular players, your eyes ended up looking elsewhere."

"Ah, that's true." he nodded. "By the time you were gone, I realized that I was staring at the net." his eyes then intensified. "If you master this, you know that there won't be a soul able to stand against you?"

"Really now? I'm pretty sure that there is that one player who's able to see through my tricks." Kuroko said a bit doleful.

"I can't think of any." Kise shrugged. "But, even if such a player exists, because I'll be teaching you other things, who needs misdirection when you'll be able to shoot and dribble properly?" But what either boy forgot was that there _was_ a player that was able to see Kuroko and gave him one hell of a time. He was Takao Kazunari of Shutoku.

"Hai." Kuroko slightly perked up, and thus, the two continued on improving Kuroko's drive.

...

After they were done with the dribbling exercises and Kuroko's drive, it was once again Kise's turn to try another copy, giving Kuroko time to rest up. By this time, he was standing by the three point line, bouncing the ball by his feet. His eyes were locked on the net, not wanting to miss.

When he stopped bouncing the ball, he caught it and then bent his knees. When he straightened, he released the ball into the air, it spinning clockwise as it headed towards the net. It landed through the hoop with a swish, Kise didn't even bat an eye as he knew that it would have been impossible to miss. He then continued to do this for about three times, getting his body warmed-up to shooting threes. Kuroko was by the sidelines watching him, taking a sip of water every now and then.

Kise then moved to the centre line, hoping to achieve a copy of Midorima. He knew that it was impossible to get this on his first try, but he wanted to see just how close he could be. So, once again, he then bounced the ball thrice, and upon the fourth he bent his knees and straightened. When he released the ball, the arc was almost as high as the ceiling but seeing it a sigh escaped his lips. Seeing the trajectory, he knew that it wasn't going in.

The ball crashed down into the paint area and continued to bounce towards the net.

"That was a fair attempt Kise-kun." Kuroko praised. "I don't know much about shooting threes, but it seems like the ball didn't have enough distance."

Kise chuckled. "That was the case, Kurokocchi." Kuroko then threw a ball to the blond which he caught easily. "But I'm going to continue until my arms feel like jello."

"Just as long as you're able to walk home after this, I don't mind." Kuroko said with a shrug of his shoulders. The light-blue haired teen then stood up and headed towards the net which Kise was facing. "I'll be here, passing to you the balls that you need. So, keep shooting."

Kise grinned. "Alright!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	5. Chapter 5

...

" _You used to captivate me by your resonating Light."_

\- Evanescence " _My Immortal."_

 

_..._

 

Once more, it was yet another early morning, Kise and Kuroko were out doing their exercises. They were midway their journey, and just like before, Kuroko started to tire. Kise was only a step ahead of him, but ever so often, he kept glancing over his shoulder to see how Kuroko was doing. But one thing was sure, they were improving. By now, they would have been further back, struggling to even move their legs.

"Kise-kun," Kuroko then called out to the boy.

"Hmm?" he replied.

"Do you think that we'll be able to beat the miracles?"

Kise stopped. "To be honest, it's going to be extremely difficult. I mean, taking on Aominecchi alone was a task, so it would be near impossible for when he teams up with another..." he then shivered, "...it'll be awful if he teams up with Murasakibaracchi! Aominecchi would be on offense and Murasakibaracchi on defense and oh God! That's just a terrible combo!" he sounded a bit distressed at this moment.

"Indeed. But we have the advantage. We're from the future so we know what their quirks and faults are. We know what they're capable of. We may be able to pull it off."

_xxxx_

For the remainder of the week, the two boys continued with their routine. In the early mornings, they did their jogs and sprints with the weights on, and then afterwards when they returned to the court, they did push-ups and sit-ups. Even though they were extremely sore, little by little, they were getting better, and having the body that he did, Kise was getting better at a faster pace than Kuroko was. But, at least this time around, Kuroko wasn't collapsing after they had done five sit-up crunches and such.

At school, it was yet another routine. They'd usually go into the library for some rest before school started, as unfortunately for Kise, he was unable to get any sleep during classes. Since the library was peaceful, there was no once to disturb them, which meant, Kise's fangirls aren't going to attack him. They'd usually stay there for about fifteen minutes, and then the bell would ring, waking them up as they'd usually fall asleep.

During the school day, they'd go through their classes with ease, well since they had already gone through this before. Kise rarely ever payed attention, sometimes he'd shrink in his seat and hold up the book to his face. Then, he'd close his eyes, and proceed to doze off; sometimes, the teacher would catch him, sometimes, he'd be free.

At lunch, they'd eat on the rooftop, the classrooms were too noisy, the cafeteria was too crowded. And well, they didn't want anyone to hear what they would usually talk about. In these times, Kise would force Kuroko to eat a little more than the ordinary, much to the other boy's displeasure. However, Kise had explained that he needed his nutrients to help improve his strength.

Reluctantly, he'd comply with Kise and ate more than the usual, and this happens everyday for that week. By the time it reached the middle of the week, Kuroko was starting to eat more than he'd used to. Kise had rejoiced at this, all Kuroko could do was roll his eyes at the blond.

Practice was the same, Matsuoka kept drilling the boys harshly, pushing them to their limits. Kise and Kuroko were exhausted, but they weren't as destroyed as the other boys. For practice, they'd do drills such as jogging, squats, push-ups and sit-ups. After that, they'd have mini-matches between the boys, Kise was especially excited about this. He had been itching to play a match ever since, and even though this isn't anything special, a match was still a match.

Fortunately, Kise and Kuroko were on the same team and the two decided to play it easy and not give away anything that they shouldn't. Their team, however, ended up winning by a narrow margin, Matsuoka only nodded at the results.

After practice ended, they remained in the third gym as usual. Without hitch, Kise then assisted Kuroko once more with his dribbling. The boy was getting better at it, and then they'd gone into Kuroko's drive. At the first two attempts, Kuroko managed to get pass Kise but he'd always leave the ball behind much to the blond's amusement. He'd usually laugh out, but every time he'd done so, Kuroko would jab him in the side rather harshly.

They continued over the weekend, on Saturday however, they had began in the evening as Kise had a shoot to do. But while he was at work, he had informed them that since he joined a club, so he'd be cutting down the amount of time he would be modelling. His manager and others agreed saying that he was still young and he should enjoy his youth etc. One of his older sisters ― Ruiko ― was sad at this fact as she had wanted him to model her new clothes line at a fashion show next week.

For Kuroko, however, he had received a letter from Ogiwara that morning, and nearly tore up. In the future, he still hadn't gotten over what they did to him and his team. For a while, Kuroko clutched the paper close to his chest and silently made a vow that this is one friendship that he won't allow to be destroyed. He then replied to the boy, this time, putting in his phone number, so that they could text and call instead.

"I'm never letting you go again, Ogiwara-kun." after he said that, he then chuckled. "My God, I'm catching the Kise Syndrome." but then remembering the blond, he realized something. Should Ogiwara and Kise meet (which Kuroko feels is an inevitable event, be it on the court or off it), the blond may end up drowning in jealousy. He then placed a hand on his chin in deep thought. "Hmm, I wonder what a jealous Kise-kun would be like."

Then, with a shrug, he went on to do something else.

_xxxx_

The next school week started, and frankly, it was the same thing that the boys had done the week prior. However, this time, during their morning trainings, instead of jogging, they decided to work on their speed. Instead of jogging around the neighbourhood and back, they stayed on the court, doing dashes back and forth. And of course, Kise was faster and was always ahead of Kuroko, because of two reasons: his strides are longer, and his body is quite athletic.

On Monday, after practice, this time, they had started with Kise trying to perfect a copy of Midorima at the centre line. But, although it wasn't perfect as yet, each time he shoots, the ball would get closer and closer to the net. Kuroko would be something like a cheerleader for the blond, seeing that he's actually putting in the immense effort. After minutes, Kise's centre shot has yet to succeed, but he knows that the next time around, it definitely will. This time, his balls missed the hoop by a hair.

After that, Kise would help Kuroko with his drive and dribble. When they started, they continued with the figure 8 but when Kise saw that Kuroko was basically there, he decided to up it a little. Since they both had their bags in the gym with them, he placed them at different locations, telling Kuroko that the bags were 'defenders' and that Kuroko should dribble around them. Strangely, the smaller teen had perked up at it, but as soon as they had started this exercise, Kuroko managed to get around the first 'defender' but ending up tripping over the next. Kise wanted to bust with laughter, but he knew that Kuroko's jabs are quite lethal so instead, he went to help him up. That said, while behind the smaller teen, the blond was laughing silently.

On Tuesday, they decided to go for a run around the field instead of training in the gym. During this time, while running, Kuroko was practicing his passes while Kise was practicing to catch them. Even though he was a specialist, Kuroko felt that he should make his passing more precise and should be able to pass through even the narrowest of spaces.

By the time Wednesday came around, the boys felt a little bit different. Even though in the morning they were exhausted, they could feel the changes with their bodies. During practice, they stood out somewhat from the others. The coach and the other players noticed this as well, and Matsuoka couldn't help but smile.

_xxxx_

In the first gym, the first years along with the captain were having a mini-match. Aomine dribbled the ball past the two defenders that came up to block him, but as soon as he did that, another one had appeared. Glancing to the left, he spotted Akashi and made a bounce pass to the small redheaded teen. Akashi received it with ease, and then proceeded to make a lay-up. This was one of the many scenes in the first gym. Currently, the large court was divided into half, one side had the match between the promising first years versus the regulars, while on the other side, there were the rest practicing.

The coach then blew his whistle, signalling that they should stop.

"Nice pass Aomine-kun." Akashi said as they made their way over.

"Of course," he smiled pridefully.

"Aka-chin, good shot." the tallest of the bunch drawled lazily. He was positioned by the net during the game, and sadly, the opposing team couldn't get a chance to get the ball in.

"Well done, you two." the bespectacled green-headed teen nodded. "Although, threes have far more value."

"Are you obsessed with threes or something, Midorima?" Aomine asked. "That's all you do!"

"Hmph," Midorima said as he adjusted his frames. "A dunking monkey like you wouldn't understand the magnificence of threes."

"Who're you calling a monkey?!"

"Stop behaving as though you hadn't heard it, Daiki." a silver haired teen snickered.

"Shut up Haizaki! I never asked you anything!"

The silver haired teen ― Haizaki ― then busts out in laughter at Aomine's expression.

"I suggest that you two be quiet." a tall black haired teen ordered. His sharp eyes gave a domineering look, and immediately, the two were silenced. "Good." he said. He then walked towards the coach, and seemed to have said something to the man.

"Man, Nijimura-san is as scary as ever," Aomine shuddered. "Shit,"

"That's what you get." Midorima snorted. "You were being loud and uncivilized." They then, along with everyone else had then assembled before the coach, Sanada Naoto, to hear what he was about to say.

"Good work today. We'll be having a practice match coming up next week against Saikai Middle," when he said this, he looked over at the group of rainbow haired teens, "prepare yourselves. That is all, dismissed."

The boys then filed out of the gym and into the locker rooms. However, only one stayed behind. Aomine Daiki. He had a grin on his face that was so wide it could rival the Joker's. He loved basketball, absolutely did, and to hear that they were having a practice match next week against Saikai, really lit a fire within him. He'd been itching to play a match since the start of the school year, and finally his chance has come.

He dribbled the ball towards the net, and when he reached into the paint area, he imagined there to be two defenders blocking his way. He then made a right to left crossover passing his imaginary defender on his left, and then pivoted on his right leg to pass his other imaginary defender. He had then made it to the net, and with a jump, he slammed the ball through the hoop.

He quickly retrieved the ball and then proceeded to dribble towards the other net, this time not imagining that there were any defenders. With a speed, he thundered down the court, and then made yet another dunk. There was a huge grin on his face, Aomine enjoying what he was doing.

He continued to do this for some more minutes, dunking, dribbling and weaving through imaginary defenders. He wore a broad smile on his face, not even paying attention at the amount of sweat that coated his body. It was then when he was about to go on his fifth round, that he heard a knock coming from the door. He stopped immediately and looked in the direction.

"Hello, lad," it was an older man with brown hair and caring eyes. "I'm about to clean the gym, I'll need you to exit."

"Ah," Aomine said, looking a bit sad.

Seeing this, the man sighed. "You could always go to the third gym. I clean that one last so by the time I'm done with this and the second, you should be gone, right?"

Aomine's face brightened. "Thanks, old man!" he then chirped as he ran out, making his way to the third gym. He bounced a ball while he was at it, the happiness and excitement etched onto his young face. Within no time, he had reached the third gym; however, he heard the sounds of ball bouncing, sneakers squeaking and the net swishing. He knew that practices for all the strings has long ended, so he wondered if there was someone there not his imagination.

Slowly making his way towards the door, he peered inside. What he saw left him shocked. A tall blond boy jumping for the net, seeming as though he was about to make a dunk. However, as Aomine looked on, he realized that he had no ball in his hand. Just then, from out of nowhere, a ball flew into his hand, firmly, _perfectly_ , as though the blond had summoned it. After that, he slammed the ball into the net viciously, seeming as though he wanted to rip the hoop off the backboard.

"That was amazing." Aomine breathed. He then entered the gym eagerly, wanting to meet this player. "Hey!" he called out to the blond. But when the blond turned to look at him, Aomine paused momentarily and wondered if he was seeing right, as in the blond's eyes there seemed to be a glint of hatred.

_xxxx_

Kise lay sprawled out on his back, staring up at the ceiling. He had just finished practicing his Midorima-like shooting and to say that his arms felt like jello would be an understatement. So far, out of ten shots that he made, only three went in cleanly. He was getting there in terms of perfecting Midorima's centre shots. But then his mind ran on the full court shot. He blanched. With his thirteen year old body, it was going to be a task.

It was then that he was taken out of his thoughts by Kuroko.

"Let's go Kise-kun." he said.

"What are we going to be doing? I'm done shooting, you're done dribbling and practicing your drive. What's left?"

"Obviously, you have to catch my passes." Kuroko said in of a matter-of-factly. "That should go without saying."

Hearing that he'll be catching Kuroko's passes, Kise sprang up immediately, with a huge grin on his face. Kuroko then passed the ball to him and made his way towards the net. Kise then followed suit, but by the time Kuroko was at the free-throw circle, Kise caught up, passed the ball back to him and dashed further.

Without hitch, Kuroko redirected the ball up towards the net, timing it just right when Kise had jumped. The ball landed squarely in the blond's palm, he then slamming down through the hoop.

"Hey!" both boys then heard someone called. Their eyes looked in the direction and were shocked to see the one person that neither wanted to.

"Aomine-kun," Kuroko mumbled below his breath. But seeing the ace before him, Kise felt a sudden surge of hatred. Remembering what happened to Kuroko in the past (future) made his blood boil. In truth, he knew that he shouldn't hate _this_ Aomine, but he just couldn't help it. And after he had failed to beat him in the past (future), he had been especially saddened and _bitter_ about it.

"Umm...that just now, was pretty amazing." Aomine said, trying to dismiss the stifling atmosphere.

"Thanks." Kise said. Surprisingly, his tone hadn't reflected his feelings. Kise then took up the ball and walked towards Kuroko who was still staring at Aomine. His chest ached as those words from the past (future) resurfaced. He didn't hate Aomine, but…

"Let's go, Kise-kun." He then said.

...he didn't think he was ready to see him…

"Eh? Why?" even Kise was shocked at the sudden change.

"I..." Was all Kuroko could manage to utter. Looking back at Aomine, Kise could understand clearly.

"Alright,"

However, while this was going on, Aomine was puzzled as to who the blond was conversing with. He then took a couple more steps towards Kise, and that was when he spotted him. The small boy with baby blue hair.

"Ghost!" he shrieked and stumbled backwards quivering. Kise couldn't help but laugh. He clutched his stomach and slightly bent over, laughing uncontrollably. Kuroko shook his head, as he really wondered what Kise found funny about Aomine's fear of ghosts.

"That's rude of you. I'm not a ghost." Kuroko spoke up. "I'm a warm-blooded human being." Strangely, Kuroko found himself twitching.

"You had to put it like that Kurokocchi?" Kise laughed.

"Ah, sorry." Aomine said as he calmed down. He then motioned closer to the Kuroko, and with a trembling hand, he poked Kuroko. Both he and Kise wondered what the boy was doing, but after Aomine sighed they realized. He was checking to see if he was 'real'. "Thank God," a sigh of relief escaped his lips.

"I'm sorry," Kise then said. "But we were just leaving."

"Really? I wanted to play a one-on-one with one of you!" he then said. "I was playing basketball all by myself in the first gym, it would be good if I had someone..."

"Why? You're in the first string while we're in the third. Isn't that a bit unfair?" Even though Kise said this, he was itching to agree. But now was not the time. He inwardly groaned, knowing that he'll have to wait until he was strong enough. _This is too unfair..._ He thought, almost whimpering. Seeing the look on the blond's face, Kuroko felt sorry for him.

"You're in the third string?" Kuroko then heard Aomine asked. "Even though it was a dunk, it seemed pretty powerful to me. I don't think third string guys can't do that."

"He'll take you up on your offer." Kuroko then said, Kise taken aback by that non sequitur.

"Eh? But…!"

"It's just one game Kise-kun. And plus, it's only until one party gets a point." Kuroko shrugged. "We need to leave either way." The only reason why he made Kise do this was because he knew how much Kise really wanted to play Aomine.

"Fine." Kise said. But he turned his face away from them, grinning like an idiot. He wanted to bust with tears of joy, but he couldn't. Aomine may deem it as weird. Aomine then walked towards the paint area, dribbling the ball as he did so. When Kise was about to move off, Kuroko tugged on his shirt sleeve.

"Please take it easy, Kise-kun." he said. "I really can't carry you home if your legs decide to fail."

"Alright. But I was planning on playing it like a third stringer, though." he smiled.

"Good."

Kise hurried over to where Aomine was, and stood in front of him. Since Aomine had the ball, the assumed that he would be on the offense so naturally, Kise went into a defensive position.

Aomine then hunched forwards, and then started dribbling the ball between his legs. Kise knew what was coming next. _He's going to do a crossover,_ he assumed. Since this Aomine was in first year, he deduced that those insane movements hadn't fully developed yet. He couldn't help but smirk.

Aomine, on the other hand, noticed that the blond's defense wasn't that bad. It's a pity that he didn't know that Kise had purposely done that. After all, he didn't want to get moved up to the first string so quickly. The tanned boy then made a right to left crossover, attempting to pass Kise on his right. He was successful, but then Kise turned around and knocked the ball out of his hands from behind. It was the same thing that Aomine had done to Kise in their high school match.

Then, swiftly, Kise snatched the ball and then took off towards the net. He slowed his pace but then, in the midst of his dribbling, he purposely made the ball leave his palm, it bouncing outside of the court. Kuroko let out a small chuckle at the sight. _That's overdoing it, Kise-kun._ He totally hadn't intended for the blond to play like _that_.

When Aomine saw it, he wanted to laugh but due to his confusion, he restrained it.

"Damn," Kise said, pretending to be frustrated. He then clumsily made his way towards the ball. He then took up the ball, and continued towards the net. But Aomine had caught up with him, thus, Kise had to then dribble on the spot all the while thinking about how he can get pass the tanned boy without seeming too skilled. However, in his deep thought, he hadn't realized that Aomine had lunged for a steal and knocked the ball from his hands. With a laugh, Aomine made his way to the net.

Watching them, Kuroko felt something within his chest. It brought back the memories from when Aomine was still himself, and not some arrogant monster who had lost all his love for the sport. As he and Kise went back and forth the court, Kuroko smiled, their happiness was becoming contagious. The two boys were smiling as they played against each other, and even though Kise had to restrain himself significantly, Kuroko could still see that he was having fun.

By this time, Aomine had managed to get five points, Kise was still on zero. But throughout their little match, if someone else had turned up, it would be obvious that Aomine had outshone Kise. The way he moved with the ball was perfect, it was as though he and the ball are the best of friends. The way he weaved around Kise would have left anyone breathless, his crossovers were so smooth, it was as though the ball had glided. He really was a _Light._

"Finally!" he heard Kise say. Snapping back to reality, he saw Kise with the ball, once again, making his way to the net. Aomine had reached in front of him, due to Kise not using his full speed. The blond then made a left to right crossover, however, the slipped from his hands and it bounced to the outside. Kuroko covered his mouth so as to not laugh out loud, he knew that what Kise had just done was on purpose.

"Ah, mou~" the blond then whined as he motioned for it.

Confused, Aomine then called out, "Hey, you,"

"Yes?" Kise responded. He then took up the ball.

"What was _that_?"

"I can't dribble." Kise said as he rubbed the back of his neck nervously, hoping that Aomine would believe that obvious lie.

Aomine raised an eyebrow. "You can't dribble?" he refused to believe it. Not too long ago, he saw him dunk the ball, so perfect, that it had him in awe. So was that possible? Before one can dunk, they'd have to learn how to dribble. It's the basic. Plus, throughout their little match, he's seen a few instances where the blond handled the ball fairly...Aomine paused. _Well, maybe his ball handling needs some work._ He then watched as Kise made his way over to Kuroko and they two started to discuss something, Kuroko's eyes would land on him every now and then.

"I've got a question." he said, walking over to them. "How can you dunk so well but can't dribble?"

Kise started to sweat. "Umm, I was in the heat of the moment?"

Aomine would not buy that. When it was just him and the blue-haired boy, he was able to dunk so well? _If going by the blond's words, then he should have been playing pretty well not too long ago. After all, it was clear that he was fired up._ Aomine then felt a poke on his right arm.

"Sorry, but we have to go now." Kuroko said. He then walked over to the stage and took up things, heading in the direction of the door.

"See you around." Kise said chirpily. He then fell in step with Kuroko, bouncing as he walked. It was clear to anyone that the blond was happy, and poor Aomine could only stand and watch as they left.

When the gym doors closed, Aomine was then brought back to reality. He recalled Kise's dunk, and that was when he realized. "That blue-haired boy was the one who passed the ball to the blond so perfectly?" he then took up the ball and slowly dribbled towards the net. "Ah shit, I forgot to ask them their names."

 


	6. Chapter 6

 

" _No pain, no gain. Shut up and train."_

 

_…_

_…_

In the early morning, two boys could be seen playing basketball on a street ball court. The blond had the ball and was attempting to shoot from the centre of the court. When he fired off the first shot, it went in smoothly through the net with a 'swish'. A grin formed onto his face as he turned to look at his partner, who was in between in him and the net.

"This is going great, nanodayo." Kise said mocking Midorima, even deepening his voice as well.

"You're getting better at this, Kise-kun." Kuroko said with a small smile.

"The next thing I want to try is Sakurai's quick release shot. If I get that right and apply that to Midorimacchi's shots..." he grinned savagely, "...I'll be unstoppable! Muwhahaha!" he attempted to do an evil laugh.

Kuroko's eyes widened at that statement. He really remembered Touou's shooting guard and how it was extremely hard for them to stop his shots. But hearing Kise say that, he was starting to imagine what that would be like, and couldn't help but shiver. When Kise perfects that, he's going to be a monster. Kuroko then smiled, knowing that at least he won't be the monster that he was in their past life.

"Add to that," he then heard Kise say, "You'll be passing to me! Mou~ I can't wait!" Kise seemed to be ecstatic.

Kuroko chuckled. "Patience is a virtue Kise-kun."

"It's also a murderer." he countered. "You don't have any idea how much agony I'm in."

Kuroko chuckled as he shook his head. He then walked towards the blond, "Help me with my drive. I need to perfect it."

Kise smirked at him, looking a bit mischievous. "Patience is a virtue, Kurokocchi."

"If you don't get in position, I'll ignite punch you in the face."

"Hai!" Kise quickly said as he knew that Kuroko doesn't make jokes.

After their morning session and they had arrived at school, it was the same old. They headed directly to the library to catch up on some sleep and rest their tired and sore bodies. For Kuroko, he felt the worst of the two. His arms, legs...his entire body was sore. He was amazed that every time he managed to walk to school and up those stairs. Kise on the other hand, even though he was just as sore, he wasn't as destroyed as Kuroko. Being a model, he had to keep his body in good shape and well, his thirteen year old body was somewhat athletic from before.

Minutes then passed, the bell rang signalling the start of the school day and slowly, the boys crawled up to their classrooms. Every time Kise entered his class, he stared at Akashi. He found it strange, that he hasn't spoken Akashi, not even telling the redhead 'good morning'. But he then shrugged his shoulders, remembering his past Teikou life, he didn't speak to him until he was in his second year anyway. The class was consumed in chatter until the teacher came, and homeroom started.

In Kuroko's class, there wasn't much for the phantom. He entered the classroom peacefully, and as usual no one notices his presence. He slipped into his seat undetectable and proceeded to read a light novel to pass the time.

_xxxx_

After school and time for practice, for the first time, Kuroko and Kise were the last out of the locker room. Kuroko sat on one bench, leaning his back to the locker while across the room, Kise lay on his bench, eyes closed and seemingly gone into a light sleep. Neither boy had the energy to do this, and what's worst, they have their practice to do afterwards. The pained looks on their faces would definitely cause anyone to think that they're on the brink of death.

What seemed to be hours, the boys finally got up and headed towards the gym. When they entered, they saw the boys in sit-up positions and immediately cringed. Kuroko placed a hand on his abdomen, the pain wasn't completely gone as yet. Hell, he doubts that it will anytime soon.

"What are you doing standing there!?" Matsuoka said to them. Without hitch, they fell into place.

For about fifteen minutes, they were engaged in that exercise, after which they went into sprints. Kuroko's legs screamed murder, but he ran with Kise, who made sure to stay by his side. But the reason for this, is that unbeknownst to everyone else, the two boys wore their weights, which, they decided that they'll absolutely never do again. In Kise's opinion, this was something beyond murder, this was crucifixion. A tear threatened to escape his eyes, but he couldn't cry in front of his Kurokocchi. Kise fought with every fibre of his being to prevent the tears from falling.

Then, after that hell, they entered into the push-ups. Kise was somewhat relieved that his legs got something like a break, but he knew his arms were going to feel it. He wondered, just what was happening this time around. In his previous life, he was moved out of the third string after a short time, he didn't remember the training to be this brutal. But then again, he didn't stay in the third string until May. And to make that worse, after he was moved to the second string, he only stayed there for two weeks. This training was horrible for the third string. It somewhat reminded him of the first string, but he knew that that string was hell either way.

When Matsuoka saw that the boys were exhausted, he gave them a break, but while that happened, he scribbled something down on his clipboard. His eyes looked at all the boys, but when is eyes landed on Kise, a small smile played at his lips as he wrote. But when he saw the blond lunge after something, he jumped from fright. He hadn't seen Kuroko there, and almost, he had forgotten that the boy was in practice. It was then that he wondered just how he would evaluate him, as he was hard to see. He was so forgettable that it's frightening.

"When that time comes, I'll just have to let him do a one-on-one then."

He then blew his whistle, signalling the restart of the practice session. But the only thing he heard coming from the boys were groans of agony.

_xxxx_

Practice was finally over and everyone had left the gym, as usual, except Kuroko and Kise. But this time, they lay on the floor gazing up at the ceiling and panting heavily. They couldn't move an inch. Kuroko felt like lead, it was almost as though his body wasn't his. It was heavy and pain erupted all over, in his joints, and even in the faintest of places he never thought could feel pain of this nature. He then managed to look across to Kise whose golden hair was so damp with sweat that it covered half of his face, and would make anyone think he's dead. But his mouth was opened widely, gulping down air gluttonously and it seemed that the blond isn't even using his nose to breathe that much.

Not being able to take any more of this, Kuroko then tried to get up but his hands wobbled before giving way.

"I can't even get up." he mumbled. "This isn't good."

"Please remind me, Kurokocchi," Kise started. "To never come to practice with our weights on. This is torture."

"Remind you? This should be something unforgettable, Kise-kun."

"You're right about that." he groaned out. He then slowly propped himself up onto his elbows before finally ending in a sitting position. He then worked out his shoulders before standing on wobbling legs. He then proceeded to work them out, trying to loosen them a little. When he was done with that, he then beckoned Kuroko to get up but the smaller boy quickly told him that he can't.

"Don't worry, I've got you!" he perked, seeing this as an opportunity to carry Kuroko.

"Get away from me!" Kuroko said as Kise motioned to hold him under his arm. Kise didn't realize how sore Kuroko was, that's why he wanted him to leave him alone. But Kise didn't get the message, or rather, _refused_ to get it. He swiftly grabbed the smaller teen, hauling him onto his two feet. Kuroko almost tore up, his body was screaming. He then gripped into Kise's shirt so as to not fall.

"Kurokocchi, you might tear my shirt if you hold it with such a tight grip."

"It should have been your face." Kuroko murmured. Luckily, Kise didn't hear, as if he did, he would have been a crying mess and Kuroko would have had to do _something_ in order to get the blond back to his original state.

_xxxx_

In the first gym, practice was going smoothly as always, but the first years were engrossed, Nijimura stood at the sidelines with their coach, watching the boys practice. It was obvious that the five first years had promise, and the coach had already arranged for a practice match that he had informed them of earlier. This was to really test how these boys would fair in a match.

And thus, their practice continued on, ending up into mini-matches against each other. All the first years, including Haizaki, were placed on one team while the bench players were opposing. At first, it had started off quite unrefined, as Haizaki and Aomine couldn't see eye-to-eye, even worse Midorima. The shooter was infuriated at their 'uncivilized' behaviour, and seeming like 'dunking monkeys'. Murasakibara only stared at the net, yawning as he watched the other boys scamper around on the court. Akashi did his job well, but when he could take no more of Aomine and Haizaki's bickering, he firmly addressed them. After that, everything flowed quite smoothly.

After their practice was done, once again, everyone mobilized out of the gym, while Aomine stayed behind. He once more practice with his 'imaginary defenders'. When this began, he got so engrossed in it that he hadn't realized the time. After his umpteenth round, he began to get bored and lonely and that's when he remembered the blond haired boy who's usually in the third gym with his ghost-like friend.

Aomine hummed as he dribbled the ball towards the third gym with great speed. He had stayed a longer time in the first gym, and so he was hoping that he'd be able to catch the two third stringers before they left. Ever since the match against the blond yesterday, he was in a fairly good mood. But for some reason, Aomine felt as though the boy was hiding something. And then there's the other one. In all honesty, he nearly had a heart attack as he didn't even notice the light-blue haired boy's presence. And then he was brazen enough to tell Aomine that thinking that he was a ghost was rude. It wasn't, it was just that he was frighteningly unnoticeable.

When he entered the gym, he was surprised to see them just standing there and looking idle. The blond seemed to be struggling to hold up the smaller teen, while said teen looked like a limp body in the blond's arms. With a sigh, the blond then gently placed the light-blue haired teen on the floor, and then proceeded to sit beside him. Aomine really wondered what was going on, so he entered.

"Yo," he greeted. The two looked at him with tired eyes.

"Hello." the blond drawled.

"Good evening," the other one greeted, and for once, Aomine was not scared out of his skin.

"So, you aren't practicing today?" Aomine asked, spinning a basketball on his index.

"Not this time, Aomine ―" he saw the blond stopped abruptly as though in realization of something. "―kun." he added.

The tanned boy raised an eyebrow. "You know me?"

"Who doesn't? You made it to the first string in your first year. Of course you'd be famous." the blond shrugged.

"Then it's only fair that I get to know your names."

"I'm Kise Ryouta and he's Kuroko Tetsuya."

Kuroko nodded at the boy and then went into his previous position which was lying on his back. He left dealing with Aomine to Kise, even though he was a bit skeptical about that. But then again, the blond's no idiot. He then closed his eyes all the while listening to the two boys' conversation but before he knew it, he was fast asleep.

"I see," Aomine then took a seat beside Kise. "So you two come here for extra practice every day?"

"Yes, we do. After all, we want to make it to the second string by September."

"By September? That's ambitious." Aomine chuckled lighly. "Especially coming from a guy who says he can't dribble." But, a part of Aomine felt that it could be possible. He still remembered the dunk and the steal from their little match yesterday. Aomine knew that there was something off about the blond but he just couldn't put his finger on it. "But, there aren't many guys like that who'd go that far in the first string. That's quite commendable of you two."

"I guess so."

"Then, I've decided!" Aomine then shouted, giving Kise a shock. "I'll practice with you every day from now on! And then one day, let's stand on the same court together!"

Kise's eyes widened with shock. "You're out of your mind! You can't do that!" Kise denied. "No offense, but we have our regimen and everything! We'll be just fine on our own!"

"Come on, don't be like that!" Aomine said, throwing a hand over Kise's shoulders. "We going to be teammates! And plus, if you train with me, who knows, you may make it to the first string in no time." He then mumbled. "I need someone to talk to too. Haizaki is a bastard and everyone else…not my cup of tea."

"Oh right, I forgot that he was still living." Kise mumbled in Kuroko's direction. "Could you believe that Shogo-kun is still alive, Kurokocchi?" he hadn't received an answer. "Kurokocchi?" Kise started to panic. When he leaned downwards to the boy, he realized that he had fallen asleep. _How could you!?_ He inwardly screamed. He then looked back to Aomine.

"He's gone. It seems that I'd have to bring him home." Kise then rose onto his feet and gingerly took up the sleeping boy, trying his best not to wake him. But, a sleeping Kuroko proved to have tremendous weight. With his already tired and sore body, Kise felt the tears sting the corner of his eyes.

"But I'm serious though." Aomine said, "you look like you have a lot of potential. And plus, the way how you two work hard, I wouldn't doubt that you make it to first string before your second year."

"Thanks for that, but I'm serious too." Kise replied.

"We'll just see about that. After all, you can't stop me from coming in here to practice right?" he said with a smirk.

Kise didn't answer. He knew for a fact that what Aomine just said was right. Kise inwardly cursed. This was a problem that he figured that neither of them had anticipated. With Aomine coming there every day, as of tomorrow, how will they get _their_ training done? And they can't cram everything in their morning sessions, that will straight suicide. Without realizing, Kise groaned aloud.

"Do you need help carrying him?"

"No, it's fine." Kise quickly denied. There's no way he'd let someone else carry his Kurokocchi. Nope. Never. But as Kise reached the door, he then turned to look at Aomine. When he saw the look on the boy's face, a part of him felt like he shouldn't deny his offer. _This_ Aomine was not a heartless monster, _this_ Aomine was not Kuroko's Light, but _this_ Aomine was just a first year who made it to first string and had absolutely loved basketball.

"I'll let Kurokocchi decide for us." he then said.

"Let me decide what?" the boy yawned sleepily as he struggled to get out of Kise's hands.

Aomine looked in the direction of the voice and let out an undignified shriek, clutching his chest. "You…! God! Can't you wake up normally?"

"Excuse me?"Kuroko didn't know whether or not he should have found that amusing.

"Can't you appear like a normal person?!"

"I'm carrying him. It's just your misfortune that you didn't realize that he's been here." Kise said. But even so, Kise had been surprised as well. Just one moment ago, he was sleeping soundly and suddenly, he wakes without even a stir? Kise found that quite frightening. _Kurokocchi, please, I don't want to die of heart failure._

Kuroko only looked at him for a brief moment. "What is it that I'm supposed to decide?"

"Aomine-kun here wants to practice with us every day. I'm trying to tell him that that's a ludicrous thought."

"Ludicrous? What? Is that another language?" Aomine asked, scratching his head. But he was ignored, sadly. He saw Kuroko's sky-blue eyes staring at him as though they wanted to see into the depths of his soul. He was starting to feel uncomfortable, as he couldn't tell what was going on in his head. His stare was blank and expressionless, in opposed to the blond, who was almost as readable as an open book.

"Well, it's not like we can stop you from coming here," Kuroko started. "But you have to give us the rest of this week for ourselves."

"Sure, that's fine by me." Aomine perked. He even made a grin that somewhat rivals Kise's. The blond shook his head at that.

"But Kurokocchi, you do realize that today's a Thursday, right? That only leaves Friday."

"Right..." he said, "...then give us a week. After all, we have been using our regimen. We can't let you disrupt that, just yet." But hearing this, Kise was surprised. At first, he thought that Kuroko would have denied Aomine since, well, it was obvious. They had to practice to get better in order to take down the miracles in the two-on-two. But now, he's allowing Aomine to join them? Kise found himself confused. But the sad thing was that the blond had no idea what Kuroko had planned.

"That's fine by me. We have a practice match next week either way, so I guess, the first string will be having extra practice until then."

After all was said and done, Kuroko then crawled outside, Kise following close behind. Aomine raised an eyebrow at this, wondering just how close these two were. He then started to wonder if they were childhood friends like he and Satsuki, but he dismissed that thought as he had heard Kise called Kuroko 'Kurokocchi'. Childhood friends don't use surnames. But as soon as they were completely outside, Aomine realized something.

"Hey! Why is it that every time I come here you have to leave!?" he sounded infuriated.

"Coincidence?" Kise answered. But Kuroko had walked on ahead without stopping. He left Aomine to Kise either way.

"What?! Come next time, you better play me!"

"Don't worry I will." Kise grinned. "I'll take you down!"

"Hoh?" Aomine was starting to get fired up. "You think you can take me, ikemen?"

"Of course, just you wait."

While this was going on, Kuroko was already outside and was listening to their conversation. He chuckled slightly, knowing full well that Kise could take Aomine right now. He may not end up victorious due to the bodily restraints, but he knew that he'd put up a nasty fight. But then again, looking back at the blond and remembering what he's done during their sessions, Kuroko began to reconsider.

Aomine then went into dribbling as he watched them leave. "Man," he said as he returned to the gym to practice. "He's going to beat me in a match? Hmph, I can't wait." he smirked. But as soon as he started to dribble, curiosity got the best of him, as he didn't know how _when_ that will happen.

"Arggh! Hurry and get better already, ya blond!" he shouted at the walls.

****

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	7. Chapter 7

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" _For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction."_

 _-_ Isaac Newton

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The moment Kuroko reached home, he greeted his parents and then went up into his room and landed in his bed. After that, he didn't ― _couldn't ―_ move again. He was aching all over, but the problem was that he doubts that both he and Kise were able to do their morning practice tomorrow. Add to that, he remembered that after next week, Aomine would be joining in their practices. A small smile appeared on his face, as seeing _this_ Aomine reminded him of the old days. The days when the tanned ace loved basketball and while he played, he had fun. But then a thought came into his head.

"This time around, I met Aomine-kun earlier than before." he then placed a hand on his chin as though in contemplation. "In my previous life, hadn't I met him after the summer championships?" Kuroko didn't know what was happening. It was an absolute fact that Aomine hadn't gone into the gym to practice until after the summer tournament. So why was he here _now_? At this point in time?

"Is it because Kise-kun joined the club earlier than previously it's causing some sort of effect?" Kuroko asked himself. He then shook his head, trying to dismiss these thoughts. "I may be overthinking. I need to sleep first."

But before he could do that, his phone rang. That tone however, was used for messages. At first, he had thought that it would have been Kise, but ignoring that, he flipped open the phone. The name he saw made him bolt upright immediately, however, he fell backwards as pain rushed through his body. Inhaling and exhaling, he then opened up the message and read the contents.

_Subject:_

_What's up Kuroko! Finally we can talk to each other without writing letters! Upgraded from the stone age! Lol!_

_So how are you? Basketball here is rough but everything's going good so far! My teammates – (the ones in the same year as me)...they're crazy!_

With a chuckle, Kuroko quickly replied to the boy. His thumb typed speedily at the key pad, and then, he hit the send button.

_xxxx_

When Kise reached home, the first thing he was assaulted by was a loud shout:

"Ryoucchi!"

He inwardly cringed when he heard that screech and quickly retreated outside to escape. However, she was swift, far too swift for someone who never played sports. He was grabbed in the back of his collar and was viciously hauled inwards the house. And what's worse, he was already in pain from practice.

"Onee-chan!" he shouted as he tried to worm his way out her tight grip. "Normal people greet each other with a 'good evening' you know!"

"Don't give me that!" she countered, fixing her long blonde hair in the process. "How could you do this to me?!"

"Do what?!"

"Abandon me! I wanted you to model for me and now you're decreasing the amount of time that you work!? How could you?!" At this point, tears were gushing out of her bright brown eyes.

"I joined a club! I've told you this before!" he quickly defended himself. He then tried to look around her into the house, hoping that his parents may come to his rescue. This was sibling harassment anyway.

"Couldn't you have joined after next week!? Betrayer!" she screeched.

"I'm sorry! But I really love basketball!"

With a huff, she released him, and then propped herself into the sofa. Kise followed behind her but while he was doing so, he noticed that his mother was in the kitchen with a huge smile on her face, his father was in the sofa reading a novel.

"I'm home." he greeted.

With a chuckle that almost erupted into a laugh, his mother said, "Welcome back."

"It's good that you and your sister are bonding so well." Ryouhei put in his bits.

"Papacchi! That was not bonding! That was bullying! She nearly killed me!" he said.

"Of course, Papa! He's betrayed me! He's evil!" Ruiko wailed at her father. She then clinged onto his arm pretending to cry. "My cute little brother has been severely tainted!"

Kise twitched. He then looked to see his parents' face, they wanted to bust with laughter, but of course they kept it down. But looking back at this incident, he realized something. A similar event had happened in his second year when he had joined the basketball club that time. Ruiko had felt the same way as she had now, and she had even came home in hopes of coaxing him into doing the fashion show. Kise covered his mouth in horror. _Is it because I'm doing everything ahead of the original time it's speeding everything else up?_ Kise started to fret. _If that's the case, then what's going to happen to the miracles?_

Needing time and space to think, he quickly headed up the stairs however, the moment he started, pain surged through his legs and the poor boy couldn't do anything but resign to sit right there on the steps. Tears threatened to escape his eyes, but he fought back with everything that he had. It was then that Ruiko saw his distress and decided to help, even though Kise had told her that he didn't need her help.

"Of course you do, you're my cute little brother in distress." she grinned. Kise inwardly moaned. He really wished that his other sister ― Reiko ― was here instead.

_xxxx_

The next day, Kise nor Kuroko did any morning training. It was because of two simple reasons: they didn't want to, and their bodies were so numb that morning, that at first they had thought that they were paralyzed. With the help of their parents (and sister in Kise's case), the two had managed to get up and make it to the bathroom to get ready for school.

And as usual, they met up in the library, this time not to sleep, but to do something about that regimen and about how they will tackle the Aomine problem from now on. It was then that Kise found out the real reason for Kuroko's allowance of Aomine in their sessions. He told the blond that it would be a very good way to get his blood pumping, but the main reason that made Kise almost jump for joy was that he was going to play Aomine one-on-one again.

"If I do, I won't be able to hold myself back." Kise grinned.

Kuroko gave him a look. "Be careful Kise-kun."

"Yeah, I know. I won't play too skillfully."

Kise had no objections to that, but he too had proposed something as well. Since that would be the case, then they'd use their morning sessions not to strengthen themselves, but to improve on their skills. They couldn't let Aomine see what they could really do, as that would ruin the whole 'element of surprise'. Thus, the only time that they'd fit up themselves, would be at basketball practice.

The two continued to talk about the strange occurrences, such as in Kuroko's case, meeting Aomine earlier than in his previous life. Kise recounted the incident with his sister as well, even though it wasn't basketball related, it was still significant. It was then that they solidified their hunches earlier. It was all because of Kise. Roughly. In their previous lives, he hadn't joined the basketball until his second year, he hadn't even become friends with Kuroko until sometime after that as well. But now, in his first year, he's in the basketball club, and well, he's Kuroko's Light. In their previous life it was Aomine.

"Oh shit," Kise then said. "So because of me, everything is being sped up?"

"You can call it that." Kuroko shrugged. "But, so far, nothing catastrophic has happened."

"And I hope it stays that way. I wouldn't want after we've been through this hell, an even worse one is waiting for us in high-school." he shuddered.

Kuroko chuckled lightly at that. "Indeed, that would be the worst. But I have a feeling that everything will turn out just fine."

"Aren't you optimistic?"

The bell then rung, signalling the start of the school day. The two, as usual made their way to class. And as usual, right throughout the course of the day, nothing special happened. They went on with their classes, for once, Kise wasn't sleeping and was actually attentive. However, for some reason, he was wary of Akashi. Just catching a glimpse of that bright red hair, would make him shudder as he subconsciously remembered what he turned out to be. But, this time around, he was determined that he'll save his soon-to-be teammates.

When lunch time came around, Kuroko and Kise made their way up to the rooftop to eat like always, away from the noise (Kise's fangirls mostly) and crowd. There, after they ate, they then solidified their change of plans, so that no more unforeseen occurrences may take them by surprise. That said, Kise was now on high alert for when Akashi, Murasakibara and Midorima enter the gym in search of Aomine. As in his previous life, that was what had happened to Kuroko and with things going the way that they are, it will most likely happen sooner than they think.

Apart from that, they chatted about many things, it was then that Kuroko had realized that there was more to Kise than meets the eye, and in all truth, he was starting to feel that maybe, just maybe, things might have been better if he had really met Kise first. The blond was not just loud, whiny and clingy, but he found that he was also smart (something that struck him quite surprisingly), and had an amusing side as well. There were many times in which the blond caused Kuroko to laugh out, something that he would never have done. They even talked about likes and dislikes.

For Kise, it was like he was on cloud nine. He was finding out more and more about his Kurokocchi, which in the past (future?) would have never been possible. Sure, after the Touou match, he and Kuroko had been messaging each other more than often, but there were still some things that he didn't know. But, now, he's noticing that the blue-haired teen is opening up to him more. _Is it because we're partners?_

He shook his head to rid the thoughts.

"Kise-kun, could you please stop doing that?" Kuroko said. "It's distracting."

"Oh, sorry." Kise said, nervously. "I was just thinking that I'm glad that I'm learning more about you. I'm really happy for this chance."

Kuroko looked a bit doleful. It was true that in the past he never really allowed anyone to know much about him, but Kise was always hounding him...which sadly, he had shot down the blond as being annoying. Looking at him now, Kuroko decided to not make the same mistake again...that is, where Kise is concerned.

"What else would you like to know?" he then asked.

"Eh?" Kise couldn't believe his ears.

"I said, what else would you like to know?"

"What else?" Kise said as though the answer was obvious. "Everything! How'd you start playing basketball, where do you live...everything!"

Where he lived? He was pretty sure that Kise already had an idea of the neighbourhood. Kuroko sighed. This was not what he had prepared himself for. "Alright. But next time, you're up."

"Sure!" the blond chirped. "I'm willing to share my life with you Kurokocchi!"

Kuroko opened his mouth to say something, but he instantly stopped. It wouldn't be wise to say what he wanted to.

At the end of the school day, everyone was wondering what the matter with Kise was. They noticed that after the lunch break, he was grinning and humming like a child. But, even when they asked, he'd only reply quite vaguely:

"Long awaited knowledge gained, it's a magnificent feeling. Ignorance is definitely _not_ bliss."

The teacher had now exited the classroom; Kise packed his bag and headed through the door, after bidding farewell to his fellow classmates. The moment he stepped out into the corridor, he bumped into something, causing him to jump backwards. He almost let out a shriek, but then he remembered this feeling. Only one person is capable of pulling this off...

"Kurokocchi!" _Damn these crowded hallways._ Kise cursed inwardly.

"Yes, are you ready?"

"Of course!" he perked.

And thus, the boys went to practice in high spirits, trying to cheer themselves and the other boys up. After all, this was the third string. The reality alone that no one really thinks that much about you is enough to get one down in the dumps. Practice carried on like usual, Matsuoka seeming as though he wanted to squeeze the very life out of them.

After practice, they went into their regimen, and once again, it started with Kise trying to perfect his copy of Midorima's half court shot. The first two tries ended in failure, but after some words of encouragement from Kuroko, Kise felt like he could move a mountain. With eyes blazing, Kise bounced the ball twice before bending his knees. When he straightened up, he released the ball into the air, almost into the ceiling, and then...swish! Bam! The ball went through the net smoothly, crashing into the ground.

With an applause, Kuroko praised the blond for that perfect effort, and even Kise himself found it amazing. Afterwards, Kise continued to shoot from the half-court, testing out how much he could really shoot. But after doing ten consecutive shots, Kise knew that he could absolutely go no more, but he decided to use five as his maximum, as it was from then that he was starting to tire. Plus, in a match, he won't be standing and shooting, he'd be all over the place, hence why, five was going to be his limit...for now at least.

After a ten minute break, the boys were at it again, this time, they were perfecting Kuroko's drive. Since they had gotten the gist of it down; Kuroko ducking lower and at an angle from the regular player, thus making it seem like he vanished. The problem that they're facing currently, is that Kuroko tends to leave the ball behind. Kise found it strange, since the boy's dribbling had improved.

But anyway, Kuroko's session began, and quite surprisingly, it went along smoothly. First, Kise had Kuroko dribble towards him, after which he blocked him to the best of his abilities. With swift movements, Kuroko then broke pass the blond, but this time, the ball was still within his hand. Kise though, was happy at this, but the thing that amazed him was the fact that no matter how many times Kuroko practice his drive, he would always be defeated by the misdirection.

He remembered that in their past Teikou life, Akashi had said that the reason Kuroko doesn't hold the ball was because his misdirection wouldn't be effective since all eyes are always on the ball. But this...this proves that misdirection is possible even if Kuroko has the ball.

"I've done it, Kise-kun!" Kuroko said with a smile. Actually, he was beaming. Kise's eyes widened. Seeing Kuroko with _this_ expression, Kise wanted to burn it into his memory. He then looked across to where his bag was and saw that it was too far. He wouldn't have gotten his phone fast enough.

"That's great, Kurokocchi!" but right now, Kise felt an overwhelming urge to hug the boy, come to think of it, he hadn't hugged the boy in a long time. Loosing all of his self-restraint, Kise lunged at the boy and ending up spinning around with him. "You're so cute when you smile! Irresistible!"

But poor Kuroko couldn't say anything. Kise's hugs were stifling, as he had the boy pressed up in his chest. When Kise realized that Kuroko hadn't said anything, he released him, looking a bit concerned.

"Kurokocchi?"

"You were suffocating me, Kise-kun." he said as he caught his breath.

"Sorry!" he shrieked. "Are you alright?!"

"Yes, I'm fine."

Kuroko then took up the ball and once again, they continued with his drive. The minutes then passed, and finally they were done with that session. The two then sat on the stage where their bags were, rehydrating themselves while they were at it. Kise couldn't help but grin at their accomplishments. So far, he had two copies down, Aomine and Midorima, even though he has yet to attempt the shooter's full court shot.

That just leaves Akashi and Murasakibara. He let out a sigh. But he had to admit, things were going at a steady pace. He was getting better at everything, faster and stronger, Kuroko learnt how to dribble and had an invisible drive, but not only that, he has gotten faster and stronger as well. It may not be up to Kise's level, but he sure was not as 'weak' as he had been prior.

"Kise-kun," Kuroko then called after he took a whole gulp of water. "What are you thinking about?"

"Ah, just that we're making considerable strides." He replied with a shrug. "I mean, over these past couple of weeks, we've improved so much!"

"That's right," Kuroko agreed. "Things are progressing rather smoothly."

After they rested enough, they then headed back onto the court.

_xxxx_

When the weekend came around, on Saturday, they had once more headed to the street court. Luckily, there wasn't anyone there, so they got by with doing whatever it is that they wanted. This time they did light jogs, and sprints without the weights on, and after they had done that, they then moved to improving their skills. Kise did a brief run through of Aomine and Midorima's half court shots, Kuroko the same with his dribbling (while running) and his drive. After that, Kuroko went into his precision passes, Kise felt elated that he would always be the first choice on the receiving end of these passes.

They had then took a ten minute break, rehydrating themselves. They chatted about countless things during this time, which, weren't basketball related. Since Kise was the chatty one, he wanted to _everything_ about Kuroko possible. And for Kuroko, since he had known that this was the blond's plan, he hadn't minded at all, as he was enjoying the blond's antics.

When the break was over, they went back to practicing, this time, Kuroko testing out a new pass. In his opinion, he wanted to be able to pass the ball to Kise from any angle, any distance and through any space (even though the latter would have to have obstacles present). This would also mean that Kise has to be able to catch them as well. But the blond was all game for it.

And thus, their Saturday session continued as such, and sometimes, Kise even added his bits, helping Kuroko to create new passes. However, sometimes as well, Kuroko would teach Kise a couple basic passes as according to the light-blue haired teen:

"Anything can happen on the court." Still, that session with Kise ended in a disaster. The ball was sent flying all over the place, and at one point in time, it had nearly hit Kuroko in the face.

But when they had taken their final break, they decided to change their plans a little, and to also, start making plans for June. Next week was going to be the final week of May anyway.

_xxxx_

Kise lay in his bed, unable to sleep. His mind kept running on what he and Kuroko had planned out for themselves for June. It would be a rough and hard regimen, but nevertheless, they were determined to save their teammates. On that note, Kise had then turned his face to the wall, wondering about their eventual two-on-two matches. He chuckled at this, knowing that they'd have to incite them one way or the other for them to accept. But then, that warm, happy feeling disappeared within an instant, replaced by doubt and fear.

He sat up straight. _Where did this feeling come from? We're only going to defeat them and then…_ He ended his train of thoughts as he realized something of great importance. After they defeat them, they'll definitely know that they aren't invincible. But something about that didn't sit right with Kise. _They won't stop practicing and we'll have championships and try to become number one..._ Kise gasped. There it was. When they make it to the first string and defeat them...the problem lies right there. Kuroko's plan can work, hell, it was the only way to save and stop them from feeling as though they were invincible, but the backlash, in his opinion, would be too severe.

"Oh shit," he murmured, "I'll have to tell Kurokocchi first thing tomorrow." he then reached for his phone, and promptly messaged the other boy.

...

Meanwhile, Kuroko sat in his chair around the desk, gazing at the paper before him. He had ripped it out of Kise's book, not that the blond had a problem. So far, their plans for June were complete all that was left was execution, but also, they decided that come tomorrow, they'd start their planning for July. A smile crept onto his face, as, he'd prevent them from turning into savage monsters who hate the sport. Even though he won't be Aomine's shadow anymore, at least, he'd retain his normal basketball loving self. As so was for the others. But, he didn't mind being Kise's shadow either. He found it quite refreshing.

Kuroko couldn't help but to smile. _They'll be saved this time around._

He was then taken out of his thoughts when his phone vibrated. Flipping out the phone, he looked at the screen. When he saw that it was a message from the blond, he raised an eyebrow in confusion.

_Subject: Your plan to save the miracles_

_Kurokocchi, we need to talk first thing tomorrow. It's urgent._

Kuroko's eyes widened at this. He could tell that there was seriousness about this message, and now he was eager to know what the blond wanted to discuss. But the subject made him feel uneasy.

"I really want to see what he has to say."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	8. Chapter 8

...

...

 

" _I've practice this for hours gone round and round_

_and now I think that I've got it all down."_

\- Daughtry " _No surprise."_

_..._

_..._

 

Kise exited his father's car briskly, heading straight for the library. He dashed passed the Administration building and main building where the first and second years classrooms were, and then cut around. Following the pathway, the library was nestled adjacent to the back of the Administration building. Upon entering through the doors, he swiftly changed his footwear at the shoe lockers. Without even a glance at anyone else, Kise then hurried pass the receptionist, and up a flight of stairs. When he reached the area, he then headed directly towards the table for four at the back by the window. Apart from the gym, he and Kuroko had assigned this place as their area of meeting, to discuss any matter without others finding out.

When he sat down, he opened the window and a cool breeze caressed his face, almost lulling him to sleep instantly. He then snapped back to reality the moment he felt a tap on his hand. There Kuroko was, sitting and staring at him as though he'd been there the whole time. But then again, it's Kuroko. He _was_ probably there for the entire time.

"So what is the urgent matter that you wanted to talk about?" Kuroko asked without hitch.

"Well, I've been thinking," Kise started, he was talking in a hushed tone. The air has somewhat gotten heavy and for some reason, Kuroko was starting to feel uncomfortable. Remembering what happened in the locker room with Kagami, he couldn't help but fear. Kise then got up and switched his seat, by sitting in the chair beside the boy before continuing. "Yes, defeat is the only way to save them from self-destruction, but I don't think the two-on-two is a good thing."

Kuroko raised an eyebrow. He had no idea where this was going.

"I'll cut to the chase," Kise then sighed. He then took a deep breath, trying to organize his choice of words. But sadly, he just couldn't find the right ones to use. "I don't think we can save them if we're on the same team. If we want the pain of defeat to sink deep into their bones, _into their souls_ , we can't be on the same team."

Kuroko _uncharacteristically_ let out a startled gasp. He then covered his mouth and proceeded to turn his face away from the blond in shock. After a few seconds, he recovered himself, and urged Kise,

"Continue," he said, strangely keeping his monotone. But noticing the blond's face, he himself seemed unsure.

Kise sucked in a breath before he started, "I mean, when I remember what happened in the past, Kurokocchi, it will only make things worse." Kuroko didn't say a word, but simply nodded for him to continue. "Before we left Teikou, we made an oath to see which one of us will emerge the victor in high school. Basically, we wanted to see which one of us is the best, since everyone else was crushed by us prior. If we should make it into the first string, and then defeat them in the two-on-two, it'll only drive them farther away from each other. They'll think that only the regulars can stand up against each other, and well, for Aominecchi, I fear that he's going to think that if his opponent isn't me, then he'll be his usual lazy self." Kise let out a breath, as he had spoken nonstop.

"Wait a minute." Kuroko stopped him. "What?" Kise had spoken too fast for him to understand.

"What I'm saying is that firstly, when we get to the first string and beat them, sure, they'll finally know what it's like to lose. Then they'll keep practicing to improve on what they're lacking. Then, our basketball lives will go on. We'll have practice matches and win all of those. We'll have the summer tournament and win that as well. Then after, we'll have more practice matches until the Winter championships. We'll win all those too. And frankly, us too, we'll be playing alongside and want to win too.

In essence, we'll keep on winning and then that will prompt them to believe that only the regulars, the _starters_ can actually stand up to each other since _we're_ the ones who had beaten them. They'll go right back to square one, disregarding their opponents, destroying them as well. When we get to third year and are about to leave, they'll go their different ways because ' _only we can stand against each other'._ It'll just seem like a repeat of future A! Nothing will change."

Kuroko stared at Kise like he was a ghost. This was something that rendered him speechless.

"They'll start to compete with each other instead of playing the sport too, right?" Kuroko then said.

"Exactly. And that's extremely horrible. Seeing who can score the most points in a single match without even considering the opponents." Kise shuddered. "I wouldn't want other teams to go through that again. Being back here, I still feel terrible for what I did in the past. As I long as I'm here, I'll not only save the others with you, but we'll also save the other teams from the horror and the humiliation."

"I get what you're saying." the blue-haired teen sighed. "Looking back at our match against Touou and yours, I saw that Aomine played with more vigor against you, and he actually showed up on time. So, I really think you're right about that. Plus," Kuroko then added, "It took our practice match to wake you up."

"Yeah," he said sounding a bit remorseful and hurt at the same time.

"I'm not about that happening all over again."

"I'm not about that life either." Kise agreed. "So, what do we do?" He then asked. "It's not like we could train strangers to take on those monsters for our selfish reasons. From my view, it seems that the most effective way to succeed is by having a team of strangers beat their asses."

Kuroko's eyes gave Kise a knowing look. "Kise-kun is an idiot. You actually said the answer earlier."

 _I said the answer earlier? When?_ Kise wracked his brain and then when the answer came, he gave Kuroko an incredulous look. "Don't tell me..." Kuroko hummed at the blond. "We can't…Are you serious?" Kuroko kept nodding his head, showing the boy that what he's thinking was correct. Kise then raked a hand through his hair. "But what if I'm wrong? What if ―"

"The saying goes, 'Prevention is better than cure'. I rather we take this action than go with our original plan of beating them two-on-two. Kise-kun, what you said, actually made perfect sense, and not only that, coming from you, who was once an egotistical monster, I'll take your word for it. So don't say things like 'what if you're wrong?' or 'what if this and that and blah.' I trust you, remember, you are my Light."

Kise's face turned red at that. Looking away from Kuroko, he then said, "Alright, but just to be clear, we're going to be transferring schools aren't we?"

Kuroko nodded his confirmation. "But the thing is, since the school year has already progressed, if we send in our transfers now, we'll most likely get accepted after summer. And if we're lucky, we'll get to play in the Winter Championships. But, I can remember some schools, if they had lost severely in the summer tournament, they'd opt out of the Winter games to get better for the following tournament." Kuroko had stated this as he remembered Ogiwara, after Meiko had lost in the summer of their second year, they didn't participate in the winter championships but in the following summer where they had met Teikou and their demise.

"That's fine by me. As long as we get to _take them down_." Kise grinned savagely. "Just you watch Aominecchi, revenge is a dish best served cold." He said as he rubbed his hands together in a sinister way.

"Kise-kun, you're scary." Kuroko said as he moved away from the blond.

"Eh? What? No! Come back! Don't leave me!" the blond defended, grabbing Kuroko's arm and pulling him closer. Kuroko tried to break out of the pleading blond's grip but to no avail.

"Kise-kun," he then said in a serious tone. The blond stopped his whining instantly, waiting on the rest of the sentence. "Since we're going to be transferring, we'll have to also up our new teammates' skills as well when we get there."

"What?"

"Since we're from the future basically, there must be some things that we could help them with. Well, you mostly." Kuroko made a simple shrug of his shoulder. "I mean, I can't really do a thing."

"Don't say that Kurokocchi!" Kise said. "Your passing skills are top notch!"

"Just the passing." Kuroko sighed.

Kise tapped his chin with an index. "I understand and I don't mind, but, it's going to be totally up to them if they want to receive help from us. I mean, when they hear that we're from Teikou, won't they have some sort of bitterness towards us?"

"This is first year, Kise-kun," Kuroko reassured. "The miracles aren't monsters yet."

"But, things are being sped up! What if their abilities blossom in Winter!?" the blond looked absolutely mortified when he said this.

Kuroko paused. Considering the things that had happened, there was _that_ possibility. Kuroko didn't want Kise to feel like he was being too pessimistic, but...for a fact, the blond had a point there. And it would be disastrous if he continued to be so optimistic.

"I know for a fact that Aomine-kun started around that point. That's why Akashi thought up of the whole quota thing to get him to at least show a little more interest in the sport."

"I see. What else happened before I joined?"

"It's a long story."

Kise glanced at his watch, and then smirked to Kuroko. "We've got time."

_xxxx_

By the time the end of the school day came around, Kise was his usual happy self. As a matter of fact, every day has been like this. The more he practiced with Kuroko, the more his happiness level went up. It was not because he was helping Kuroko accomplish something, or planning on saving the miracles, it was the fact that he was going to be Kuroko's Light and that the boy was opening up to him. In their past life, he was ignorant of everything that was related to Kuroko.

When he exited his class, due to the accumulation of crowds in the hallway, he had stood by the door, for a short while, waiting for it to subside. In that moment, someone jabbed him in the side, making him cringe slightly. There was only one person he knew that loved to do that.

"Kurokocchi," he groaned out.

"Let's go Kise-kun." he said without even a slight remorse for the boy.

"You've hurt me, Kurokocchi. I want a hug." he whined. But the look that Kuroko gave him made him deflate in an instant. "So mean, Kurokocchi!"

Without a word more to the blond, Kuroko marched off with Kise following beside him. After some minutes, they two reached the locker rooms where they greeted the boys present before changing as well. And after they were done, they made their way to the gym, a groan escaped Kise's lips as he remembered that this was yet another week in the third string. It was then that his mind ran on the 'test' that he's heard many of the boys talk about in his previous life. He had never taken the test before, as when he entered, his skills had grown in such a short time that they had promoted him to the second string. And then, a repeat of that came when after just two weeks in that string, they moved him up to the first string.

Kise sighed. He was starting to see why Kuroko didn't want them to suddenly move from third string to first string. But then again, now that they've confirmed that they were transferring, he lost all motivation to enter the second string, but mind you, he was burning to defeat the miracles and get his revenge on Aomine. He made a light chuckle, as in their current timeline that match will happen two years from now. Technically, he shouldn't have a grudge against the boy. But this was Kise, he wasn't going to let _that_ go.

He and Kuroko then entered the gym where they saw Matsuoka with the boys gathering around him. He wondered what was happening, and before he could have uttered a single word to Kuroko, the boy had vanished from his side and was making his way towards the crowd. He sighed and made his way there as well.

"Next week, we'll be having a test," the coach started. "It will be used to determine who moves up to the second string." After he said that, there were whispers flying about, but one emotion that was present, the boys seemed hopeful. Kise grinned at this. He didn't care that it was just a test match, it was still a match. He had been itching to play one and was starting to fret that maybe he was getting rusty.

"You will be forming groups of five, and your opponents will be guys from the second string." At that there was dead silence. The boys had all blanched. Seeing the look on his boy's face, Matsuoka tried to cheer them up. "Don't worry, for their match, the second stringers have to play against the first string."

That just made it even worse. There were many who had the hopes of one day making it to the first string, there were also many who had even bigger hopes of making to the bench. But hearing that the test for the first string was that, many had already started to feel defeated.

"Now let's get to practice!"

"Hai!"

_xxxx_

After practice was done, as usual, Kuroko and Kise went into their own regimen. And since this week was going to be Aomine-free, they planned to maximize their time to the fullest. As once he arrives, they won't be able to practice what they _want_ to, at least, Kuroko would still practice his dribbling and such, and probably use Aomine as a new victim for his drive. But Kise, he couldn't try to shoot like Midorima, or play formlessly like future Aomine and even practice Murasakibara's blocking style. That was just basically letting the cat out the bag and is just asking to be promoted to regulars. He didn't want that. And when he remembered that Haizaki was still living, he realized that he wanted to avoid the silver-haired teen as much as possible. Yes, after all these years, Kise still found the bastard quite repulsive.

"Kise-kun," Kuroko then called out to him.

"Hmm?"

"Teach me how to shoot."

Kise froze. "Excuse me? What?"

"Teach. Me. How. To. Shoot." Kuroko replied sounding as though he was counting the words.

"I heard you the first time. But, why? Your passing is amazing! There will be four other guys on the court who can do that!"

"I'll only be a burden if all I can do is pass." he said with his head hung low. "I want to ease the pressure off my teammates by learning to shoot, I want to be able to avoid defenders with dribbling should there be no one available to receive my passes. I just don't want..." Kuroko trailed off. Once more, the events of the (future) past haunted him still. Even though he had told him that he'll be a shadow, he had realized that leaving everything up to Kagami had put a lot of pressure on the redhead. And looking at Kise, he wouldn't want the blond to experience the same fate.

"Alright." he said with a smile, realizing what the smaller meant. "I'll help you accomplish that. However," Kise then looked mischievous. "You'll only play this way when we're in a real pinch or in the last quarter."

"What kind of condition is that? Kise-kun, you're too unfair." Kuroko seemed to have made a small pout. Plus with him having to look up to Kise due to the height difference, he was dangerously adorable.

Kise felt his breath hitch at that. _So cute! So adorable!_ He had inwardly screamed. His body was just itching to hug the boy but he remembered the jab earlier. "Because, Kurokocchi," Kise then said, throwing an arm around the smaller teen. He pretended to be unaffected by that pout. "You'll be our highly valued trump card. Not only are you able to change the ball pass course and steal balls efficiently, but the opponents will look down on you and when you spring that on them, they'll be taken off kilter. Especially when we face Teikou since we'll be transferring. Momocchi won't be able to predict that now would she?"

Kuroko paused in astonishment. He then found himself asking, "Have you always been this smart?" The Kise he knew would have never thought like this.

"That's mean!" he whined.

"No, it's just that, you never showed this side of you before." he shrugged. "I had to ask. First you realized the problem that may happen if we stayed in Teikou, now this? Who are you?"

"You're hurting my feelings, Kurokocchi!" He pouted. "I'll need a hug to feel better."

Kuroko sighed. He knew that he should have gotten used to Kise's antics by now. Sighing once again, he then said, "Alright, come here. Let's make it very brief."

But that last part was brutally ignored. With a squeal, Kise dived at the boy, wrapped his arms around his small frame. What made it worse, Kise rubbed his cheek against his, shrieking about 'cute' and 'adorable' and all sorts of things that Kuroko had tuned out. When the smaller could take no more (Kise seemed like he was hugging him for an eternity), he used his somewhat free hand to jab him rather harshly in the side.

The blond bent and howled with anguish, Kuroko was finally free from his grasp. With a cold gaze, he then said, "I thought I said _very brief_."

"I...didn't...hear...that..." he managed to squeeze out. But the simple reason he didn't hear that was because he had tuned out everything after he heard Kuroko agree.

"Let's practice, Kise-kun." Kuroko then said, not having a care that his Light was on the floor writhing with pain.

"Sorry." he managed to whimper out. But somehow, Kuroko found that he didn't mind that hug at all. The reason why he jabbed him was because he didn't want to get too comfortable to the point where every second he was latching onto him. But, he couldn't let Kise know that.

And so, their practice began.

_xxxx_

For the rest of the week, Kuroko and Kise were engaged in some arduous work. In the mornings, they'd build their stamina and increase their speed by jogging and doing sprint sets only. They'd stop with the push-ups and sit-ups and the what-not as they'd do that in their practice at school. While they were getting better and better, it was obvious that Kise was ahead of Kuroko in that aspect, but neither boy minded, it all comes down to how they along with their new teammates (whoever they will be) will combine together to take down those miracles. Just thinking about that day made Kise grin.

On Tuesday, their extra practices had centred on 'shooting', as Kise tried to teach Kuroko how to shoot and another time he attempted Midorima's full court shot. As expected, it ended in failure, but Kise didn't mind that at all. He knew that with the coming days, he'll may be able to make his full court shots with ease. However, with Kuroko was a different story. His trials with Kuroko weren't all in vain, even though all the boy's shots had failed, it was then that they realized that Kuroko couldn't shoot a three to save his life.

So, Kise decided to change tactic. He had placed the boy in the paint area, and told him to shoot from there. Since it wasn't as far as the three point line there was hope. But once again, they stumbled upon a wall. Kuroko was extremely uncomfortable when he tried to shoot. Since he was an irregular passer who used his palm, standing in the correct posture used to shoot was making him miserable.

No matter what he tried, Kuroko just couldn't shoot. Kise had moved him from the paint area and decided to try an even simpler shot ― layup. Since all Kuroko had to do was jump and let the ball roll off his fingers. Even that had failed.

Kise nearly ripped his hair out in frustration.

He was starting to think that it must've been some curse placed on the boy, because, everything, _everything_ failed. But then he started to imagine how Kuroko must feel. He had looked at the boy and could immediately tell that he was saddened by it. A normal person would think that he's indifferent but being as close as he is to Kuroko now, even the faintest, Kise had an inkling.

"This cannot be so hopeless." Kuroko had sighed, unfortunately Kise had heard him but he couldn't find the right words to tell the boy. He really wanted to help him shoot, but if he's uncomfortable with the standard way of shooting then…

"Kurokocchi!" he shouted, startling the light-blue haired teen.

"Please don't shout Kise-kun," he deadpanned. "It echoes."

"Sorry. But I've realized something. If you can't shoot like everyone does, why not try it your way?" he grinned, producing a smile that rivals a fluorescent light bulb. "I mean, I don't know how we're going to do this, but we could try to shoot the ball with our palms!" He perked. Yes, Kise deliberately used 'we' there, to signify that Kuroko wasn't alone in this…

With a raised eyebrow, Kuroko then asked. "How will that work? If we should do that, the ball with only have height, no distance."

…And unknowingly, Kuroko had used 'we' as well…

Kise tapped his chin with an index in contemplation. His brows furrowed and for once, Kuroko was actually anticipating a well-thought through explanation. These days Kise was showing a more intellectual side than in their previous life.

"I think I know!" the blond said, taking Kuroko out of his thoughts. "Since you are a passing specialist, why don't you pass the ball to the hoop instead? That way, maybe it can bounce back from the backboard and into the net or something."

Kuroko stared at him. "That is…not a bad idea. But passing to the hoop with my palm you mean? How's that going to work? Plus, how will I even get it in the air?"

The boys stopped at that. "Let's leave that for now." Kise then suggested.

"Agreed."

On Wednesday, at the beginning of their session, they decided to a run-through of all that Kuroko can now do. That meant, his dribbling and his drive. The boy went through those easily, but even though they weren't executed flawlessly and smoothly like Kise would, it was still a job well done. And then again, Kise took into consideration the fact that they haven't play any matches, which meant that Kuroko hadn't been able to test exactly how effective it was in a match.

After they were done with that segment, Kise once more attempted Midorima's full court shot. What the blond was starting to realize, was that copying their moves does take a toll but he's found that he's able to do this easier. After he had fully copied Aomine, it was as though he went through a level-up. But, there was something different.

Kuroko was the one who noticed.

Unlike (future) Midorima whose full court shot arches all the way to the ceiling, Kise's own wasn't as high. Sure, it was still unstoppable, but the height wasn't all the way up to the ceiling. It was then that remembered when Kise was playing like (future) Aomine, he remembered him saying that he couldn't use the same speed as the original because his body was just thirteen. He was underage to use those skills of that level. He then deduced that that is the case currently with Midorima's shot. However, when he was doing the half-court shot, it was just as frightening as the original.

Kise knows what he's doing however. He knew that using the same height as the (future) Midorima is just killing himself off, so to reduce the stress that his body will feel, and to reduce the amount of energy spent to fire off the ball in that shot, he lowered the height, giving it more distance. This time, the shot ended in a success for the blond, but after he made that one, the ones that follow, failed.

"Well, it is just practice anyway." He had shrugged it off saying.

And after they were done with that, they decided to brainstorm the different ways to make Kuroko be able to shoot. Instead of just going about things instinctively and playing a guessing game on the court, they decided to thoroughly plan this out. It caused a lot headaches for the two boys still, and once, Kise had thought that this needed an expert in basketball to figure out.

But, after what seemed to be an eternity, the two (sort of) figured out how to get the ball going. It was Kuroko's form and stance that they worked on, since before, they couldn't (for the life of them), comprehend how the ball will make it into the net if Kuroko should use his palm to push the ball. So far, they've realized that to get the ball into air with an arch, Kuroko would have to change his stance from the regular player to holding the ball at his chest and using his other hand to push it upwards. But there was still a matter of Kuroko getting in right. Even with the new form, he was still missing the hoop, but that was understandable, he was never required to shoot previously so his aim _would_ be quite off.

By Thursday, things went smoothly. Kise could do four full court shots, but he made a vow to himself that he'd only use that shot when it was absolutely necessary or (most importantly to the blond) if he wanted to show off when they meet the miracles. Due to him being in first year, in middle school no less, he thought that being able to do the full court shot isn't really necessary that much. He could do the centre shot, so he thought that overtime, he'll get better with that abominable shooting range. But still, to be able to do four consecutive full court shots was still a great feat. He may be able to copy but he's still no Midorima…Yet.

In terms of shooting where Kuroko's concerned, it was on this day that both he and Kise discovered his next weapon. More specifically, the weapon to use against Murasakibara. This time, Kise was in a defensive stance before Kuroko as per usual, but the smaller teen was in his shooting stance. After the count of three, Kise and Kuroko reacted the same time ― Kise jumped, Kuroko shot the ball. However, what happened after made Kise splutter, unable to create a coherent sentence.

In Kise's opinion, the ball had vanished. Simply put. Even though it bounced off the rim of the net and fell to the floor, Kise was shocked.

"Kurokocchi, what was that?"

"What? I did everything that we discussed. Did I go wrong somewhere?"

"No that's not it. The ball disappeared. _That's_ what I'm talking about."

"It did?" Kuroko titled his head to one side in utter confusion.

"How could you not notice that?! You just made a shot that disappeared and you didn't notice that?!"

"I'm sorry."

"Why are you apologizing?" Kise found himself chuckling. "That was awesome! A shot that disappeared! Oh man, it'd be awesome to see (future) Akashi's face right now!" he then laughed out loud. "He had said that you can't use misdirection while you have the ball but voila! Damn, I'm so envious of you!"

"I'm the one who should be envious. You can play with just a look of the moves!"

"But I don't have anything original!"

"Then make an original move!"

"But ―!"

"Then ―!"

"What?"

"What?"

"Stop mocking me!" they ended up saying it at the same time. Then after couple seconds, they bust with laughter, seeing how idiotic they behaved not too long ago.

By Friday, the boys felt like they could take on the world.

Kise's threes never missed, neither from the three point line or the centre line. Kuroko's shots kept disappearing, just like his drive and his dribbling wasn't bad either. He was now able to dodge defenders with ease, and with a feeling of accomplishment, Kise could also boast that the boy could do crossovers as well. Those weren't perfect, but he wouldn't lose the ball though. But that day, Kise started to attempt a copy of Akashi's ankle break, he would leave the Emperor Eye for a later date. And plus, he decided, that it would be best to test _that_ out in a real match.

This day also, they had stayed longer than usual, as tomorrow, Kise had work to do. They didn't mind, seeing this a means to take a break from all this. Kuroko thought about meeting up with Ogiwara this time, to catch up on whatever he was missing out on. But that idea had to be changed a little bit when Kise begged him to come to his shoot.

"No, I plan to meet Ogiwara-kun."

"We can meet him afterwards! Please Kurokocchi!? _Please?_ " he whined and pleaded and begged in one. The face he made, in Kuroko's opinion, was a dangerous weapon as without even realizing it, he was nodding his head towards the boy.

"Thanks! I love you!" He screamed as he lunged for him, embracing in a suffocating hug. And what does Kuroko do? This time around, he actually let Kise hug him. On the other hand, for the blond, he was going to remember this moment well.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	9. Chapter 9

" _Practice makes perfect."_

…

…

 

The next school week started once again, but this time, Kise was a little nervous. From this day onwards, until they transfer, Aomine will be practicing with them. Kise really didn't want that at all, as sad to say, when it comes onto to _his_ Kurokocchi, he can be quite selfish. But even so, there was merit to that. He'd get to play Aomine as often as he wants to (the only sad thing is that he'd have to restrict himself) and find out all about his play style and maybe, copy some of those moves as well.

Oh yes, Kise then deduced, this seems like fun.

But then, he started to remember the events of last week. He didn't care about the training sessions (well he did) but...Kuroko allowing him to hug him. That was totally unexpected. By the time he reached home, his parents (Ryouhei mostly) had thought that he was stricken with fever. By the time he reached in his bed, he was squealing with joy. He had hidden his face into the pillow and screamed to his racing heart's content. He was just overflowing with happiness that his Kurokocchi allowed himself to receive his hugs. He even remembered when Kuroko had followed him to his shoot and scared the shit out of everyone there...and the time when they left to get something to eat while waiting on Ogiwara to arrive. Yes, that was glorious.

But when the boy had arrived, Kise had not been his chatty and sociable self, instead, it was as though he was inspecting Ogiwara. Well, he _is_ Kuroko's childhood friend. The one who taught him basketball at that. They had more history than he ever will but he was determined that no one, _absolutely no one_ will take his Kurokocchi away this time around. If he can get around the 'Aomine obstacle' then Ogiwara should be no problem. He was serious, that in this lifetime, Kuroko shall be his.

Kise then laughed out at how childish he had been.

But was it really being childish? Was it something else? Was it something like…?

He ended his train of thoughts upon realizing what he was going to think. He then hummed as he turned in through the school gate, this time, neither of his parents dropped him off as he wanted some space to think. For the life of him, he couldn't figure out which school to transfer to, he had a couple in mind, but still, he couldn't choose. At first, he wanted to choose a school that they had done in pretty badly in the past, but...too much made that list.

He then walked to the library, to meet up with Kuroko, as is customary.

_xxxx_

After practice was done, Kise and Kuroko sat on the stage while everyone else exited the gym. They rehydrated themselves, and caught their breaths, as this time, Matsuoka seemed to have wanted to wring everything out of them. Their legs ached and their arms trembled due to exhaustion.

Before Matsuoka exited, he looked at the boys with a smile on his face. He was seriously thinking of just moving them up to the second string without taking the test, but he'd still want to see how they'll operate in a match. He then walked over to the boys, and said,

"Keep up the good work, boys." he said. "I'm really proud of you."

"Thank you, Coach." they chorused.

"You're the only ones who stay late and practice this hard. I've heard from the janitor. You stay unbelievably late and by the time you're done, you're drenched in sweat." he chuckled. "When he said that to me, somehow, I felt moved. He even said that you two had enough talent to make it to first string."

"Thanks..." Kise said for the two, even Kuroko was left speechless at the fact that there was someone spying on them. This is getting dangerous.

"No problem." Matsuoka said as he walked off towards the door. "Don't stay too long, now."

"Hai!"

When Matsuoka headed out, they bounced up onto their feet to start their practice. This time around, Kise was going to attempt Akashi's ankle break, he figured that it would be easier than the others, since it's just high-speed dribbling. Compared to what he had to copy from Midorima and Aomine, this _seemed_ to be easier. In terms of Kuroko, he was going to be focusing on shooting and creating new types of passes, since his drive was perfect. After all, Kise drilled him brutally. Luckily for him, dribbling is something that will come over time with experience and practice, so they'll take that easy.

"Let's go Kise-kun." Kuroko said. "Let's start with the passes first." Truth be told, Kise can catch all of Kuroko's current passes. It was some sort of revenge for his dribbling sessions, Kuroko drilled his passes into Kise's palms. Currently, neither would be surprised if Kise could catch those balls with his eyes closed.

"Alright!" Kise chirped.

The two boys then set everything up, placing their bags, water bottles, and almost everything they could find in a haphazard way, sort of resembling an obstacle course. Kise then went to stand in between these obstacles at the three point line, preparing himself to receive the pass. This was all Kuroko's idea, since future Aomine had stopped all his passes to Kagami, he thought that he'd learn to pass to the blond (or anyone for that matter) with immaculate precision. Changing the pass course or speeding up the ball wouldn't be the only thing he's going to be able to do this time around.

Kise then bounced pass the ball to Kuroko, after which he bent his knees preparing himself to jump. Timing it just right, Kuroko passed the ball to the floor, with enough force, so that when it bounces up, it lands right into Kise's waiting arms. Without hitch, Kise jumped and released the ball, mimicking Sakurai's quick release shot. But even so, he was awed. The way the ball fit into his hands...it wasn't like the usual alley-oop passes, or the cyclone or ignite that just found its way into his open palm. This was different. And looking at the 'obstacles' there wasn't a trace of the ball brushing against them.

"I did it." Kuroko managed to breathe out.

"Kurokocchi!" Kise shouted as he dashed towards the boy. "You did it!"

"I know!" he laughed with joy.

Kise then embraced him in a hug, spinning in circles with him as well. The two actually laughed at this feat, but when Kuroko realized what was happening, an awkward silence came between the two.

"Erm, sorry about that." Kise said, turning away his face from Kuroko. He was deep red and he seriously hoped that Kuroko hadn't seen his blush. But instead of replying, Kuroko could only stare. His heart was racing unbelievably, and he wasn't sure if it was due to their excitement not too long ago or something else.

"Ah, sure." Kuroko finally managed to say albeit a bit absentminded. Kise picked up on this, and gave the boy a discerning look.

"Kurokocchi?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I think."

"Then that's a no. Is it because I hugged you a while ago?"

"No!" Kuroko unexpectedly raised his voice. Kise jumped at this. "I mean, my heartbeat's faster than usual. And I don't know if it's because I'm excited that I got the pass right or of something else."

"Oh." Kise said. But hearing the 'something else' got him wondering. This morning, he was wondering about what he had felt last week as well. After much deliberation and much denial, Kise deduced that in his case, he was just being childish, and in Kuroko's case… "You were just excited, Kurokocchi! I was too!"

"Are you sure?" Kuroko then asked. "I've been excited before, and I don't remember feeling like this. Maybe it was your hug, Kise-kun." the small teen was really perplexed.

When Kise heard this, he couldn't deny it any further. It really was _something else._

They then continued their practice, Kuroko doing more and more of his precision passes so that he'll be able to perfect it. Kise on the other hand, didn't mind this at all, it was getting him pumped up for the real thing, in a tournament when there's adrenaline, and the excitement and rush and everything. Kise just couldn't wait. By the time they were done, Kise's palms were red, as sometimes Kuroko would increase the speed of these passes, but he didn't mind. Nope. Not one bit.

When it was his turn, he practiced Akashi's ankle break. But he was a little afraid to do it on his Kurokocchi. With a roll of his eyes, Kuroko had said it was fine, since, the whole point of that dribble is to make the defender fall due to the sudden shift of their centre of gravity. The first time he tried it, funny enough, he was the one who tripped and it was over the ball no less. He was actually going a bit too fast, so when he took a step, the ball knocked into his foot, causing him to fall, but luckily, he was caught by Kuroko. Even though they were stumbling all over the place to catch their balance.

The second time he tried it, the ball escaped his hands and bounced away to the other side of the court. And this time, he wasn't pretending to not know how to dribble.

The third time he tried it, he got it right, but the moment Kuroko was about to fall, he caught him in his back and subconsciously pulled him closer towards him. This sudden close contact in such a pose left the two blushing and hearts racing like mad. Kise, as usual, turned his face away, but he didn't release Kuroko. He didn't want to. And if the boy didn't say anything, just know that he would've stayed like that for the rest of the evening.

Kuroko swiftly wormed his way out of Kise's arms, grabbing his shirt at the chest area.

After going through many more trial and error, Kise and Kuroko sat on the floor to catch their breaths. In comparison to Riko's training and the first string's training that he used to have, Kuroko now realized that he could keep up with the third string's training. It was all thanks to his and Kise's training anyway. Kise, on the other hand, seemed as though he could have gone on forever.

"Kise-kun, do you have any idea of which school we should choose?" Kuroko asked, for once the silence was annoying.

"Not really." He shrugged his shoulders. "I had actually thought about quite a few, but Amagiri, Waseda, Meiko, were at the top. But Meiko, stood out the most. After all, what we did to them in our final year was pretty nasty. So I was thinking that maybe I could make-up for it by helping them this time around."

Kuroko's eyes widened. Hearing the name of the school, he remembered that his childhood friend Ogiwara went there. Just before they had gone off to their separate middle schools, they had promised to play against each other one day. A smile then crept onto his face, he still conversed with Ogiwara as they had met on Saturday...he realized that Meiko would be a good choice. However, tension between Ogiwara and Kise is going to be quite nasty. But, he doesn't mind. After all, he can jab them all he wants for being petty.

 _It should be fun._ He thought before he said, "Then, Meiko it is."

"Wait, you aren't going to suggest another school?"

"Nope, after all, my childhood friend goes there."

"Oh right, that same Oikawa-kun, right?" Kise said as though he had tasted something bitter. After all, he had encountered the boy on Saturday after his shoot.

"It's Ogiwara." He deadpanned.

"Same difference." He shrugged. Kuroko then jabbed him in the side and rose to his feet. Kise had doubled over in agony, almost entering a foetal posture. Kuroko then reached for a ball, and walked towards the centre-circle.

"Get up, Kise-kun." He said in a steel voice. "It wasn't even that intense."

"Of course it was! You have no idea how strong you are, Kurokocchi!" Kise whined as he got onto his feet. He then made his way over to the blue-haired boy but then looked in the direction of the net. "So which pass am I going to be catching this time?"

"You already know, Kise-kun." Kuroko said with a small smirk. Kise didn't miss that. Kuroko then passed the ball to him and made his way towards the net. Kise then followed suit, but by the time Kuroko was at the free-throw circle, Kise caught up, passed the ball to him and dashed further.

Without hitch, Kuroko redirected the ball up towards the net, timing it just right when Kise had jumped. The ball landed squarely in the blond's palm, he then slamming it down through the hoop.

_xxxx_

"Alright, everyone, that's it for practice!" Sanada announced as he blew his whistle. The boys stopped immediately and collapsed onto the floor. They then did their stretches, after which, some boys had exited the gym. A group of rainbow haired teenagers remained along with some others, but they did their own practice with each other.

"We really won our practice match." Aomine started. "Weren't those guys, older than us?"

"Yes they were Aomine-kun." Akashi said. "But, luckily we had managed to best them."

"Luckily? Akashi, I think you're mistaken there." Haizaki joined in. "Admit it, we beat those bastards with our strength. I can't wait for the tournament to start." he then grinned.

"Get off your high horse. We still have some more practice matches to play before the coach determines whether or not we're fit to play in the tournament." Midorima chimed in. "Even though we are in the first string, don't get too overconfident."

Haizaki deflated at that. "Tsch, I hate it when you're right."

"Can I go home, then?" Murasakibara drawled lazily. "Aka-chin ―"

"We're going to be practicing." Akashi responded swiftly. "Since there's an odd number of us here, then ―"

"I'll join. I'll help improve you little brats." he said as he smirked. The captain of the Teikou basketball team ― Nijimura Shuuzou. "I'll show you the strength of a Senpai." Simultaneously, Aomine and Haizaki both blanched. They knew, Nijimura is a force not to be trifled with, both on and off the court.

"Alright, let's choose our teams." Akashi then said.

"Murasakibara." Nijimura started. He then looked to Akashi, indicating that he should choose. The others present wondered why those two felt that they had the authority or the right to be choosing. Well, Nijimura was a given.

"Aomine-kun."

When Akashi called his name, he was silently praying that Nijimura would choose Haizaki. He was going to be stuck on the same team with the silver-haired boy for three years, let this one time he'll have peace of mind.

"Haizaki."

"Yes!" Aomine ended up shouting which caused eyebrows to be raised. "Sorry, I was just relieved that this bastard isn't on the same team as me."

"I'll be sure to demolish you." He snarled. That just leaves Midorima. Without needing to say anything, the shooting guard made his way over to Akashi's team. When that happened, Akashi smiled at this, seeing that his team is more balanced than Nijimura's. However, that doesn't mean they couldn't lose. After all, they were going up against Nijimura.

After that, the ball was thrown into the air, Murasakibara and Midorima jumping for it.

_xxxx_

After their session was over, they were left panting, Nijimura smiling at them. He knew that given some more time, they could really become dangerous forces in middle-school basketball. After all, they were his annoying little kouhais. That said, his team had won the little scrimmage, but he's taken note of all their abilities. It seems with each passing day, they were getting better and better.

"Well, don't laze around. We have another practice match coming up. Be ready."

"Hai!" they uttered out.

When Nijimura went through the door, Aomine got up as well, and quickly said his goodbyes to the group. Without waiting for them to respond, he dashed through the door, heading to the third gym. He wore a grin on his face as he remembered that Kuroko said he could practice with them. It was then that he wondered if the blond had gotten any better at dribbling, their last conversation had really lit a fire in him.

By the time he realized, the sounds of squeaking and the ball bouncing had reached his ears, so he quickly hastened his footsteps. But, when he reached to the gym doors, they had stopped. Not wanting to be disappointed, he hurriedly entered only to see the two boys sitting and catching their breaths.

"Yo!" he greeted. "Don't tell me, you're not done are you?"

"Of course not. Just taking a breather." Kise replied. Kuroko was lying on his back next to blond.

"I see." Aomine said. He then walked over to the two (of course he didn't see Kuroko), and asked if he could join them. Kise nodded, and so the tanned boy took a seat.

"Hello Aomine-kun." Kuroko then greeted.

"Hiii!" Aomine let out a high-pitched cry and shuffled away from Kise in fright. The blond bust with laughter, as the boy was acting quite ridiculous. "Can't you appear normally?!" he asked.

"I have been lying here for some minutes now. It's your misfortune that you didn't see me here."

"You…!" he then relaxed. He turned to Kise and then said, "Can't you do something about that?!"

"Something about what?"

"His ghostly attribute! He's frighteningly unnoticeable!"

"He was born that way. I can't do anything to that." Kise shrugged.

"Can't you be on my side?"

" _Of course not._ " Kise responded. "My Kurokocchi is precious."

"Huh?"

"Let's continue practice." Kuroko said as he got up. He knew where this was headed. He then took up a ball and walked off towards the net. Kise and Aomine followed, each having a ball. Neither knew what Kuroko intended, but Kise was sure that it couldn't be something ridiculous. Kuroko started to dribble the figure 8, indicating to Kise that's what he'll do. Kise quickly got in line with Kuroko and did the same thing. However, this time, he didn't pretend that he couldn't do it but, it wasn't perfect either.

With a smirk, Aomine fell into place beside Kise, doing the same thing.

"I challenge you to a dribbling race!" He said.

"What?"

"You heard me. First one back here is the winner. Let's go, blondie!" With that, Aomine ran off with the dribble, igniting Kise.

"Get back here!"

Kuroko could only watch them with a smile on his face. He shook his head as he saw Kise, the blond didn't care about pretending to be a novice anymore, and instead, he was dribbling perfectly fine trying to catch Aomine. But the power forward was fast, and well, Kise didn't spend too much energy here to arise suspicion. After all, they are going to be transferring. Taking Teikou by surprise is the best action.

"So you have gotten better." Aomine said as he turned to see Kise. "Good."

"Of course I would have. What do you think we've been doing?"

"Then, catch me if you can!" Aomine sped off into the opposite direction, and Kise had to use all his willpower to not dash down there and catch him back. It was too unfair. But nonetheless, he then figured that this would be a good way to asses Aomine for future purposes. He then followed suit, chasing after the boy.

By this time, Kuroko had taken a seat at the sidelines, leaving the court all to the boys. And watching the two, he realized what Aomine was trying to get Kise to do. Since he believed that Kise couldn't dribble, firing him up into a dribble race would most likely improve his dribbling while moving with the ball. After all, with the figure 8 dribble exercise, they were walking with it.

And so the time passed, Aomine and Kise could be seen running back and forth the court, dribbling. It was fun for the tanned ace, as sometimes he'd slow his speed to allow Kise to catch him as he feels sorry for the boy. Another time, he'd incorporate crossovers into their 'race', every bone in Kise was twitching with eagerness. He was so close to Aomine, but he couldn't play him. It pained his heart so much that it was visible on his face.

At first, Aomine had thought that he was in physical pain, but afterwards, he realized that the blond was just upset that he couldn't get to catch him. Which was obviously a lie. After their little race, it was then that Aomine learned of Kise and Kuroko's Light and Shadow partnership. He was confused at first, but Kise had simply told him that Kuroko doesn't do one-on-ones since he had wanted to play the boy. So Kise had to suffice.

Their little match lasted a couple of minutes, and of course it ended with Aomine beating Kise. However, throughout, Kise's defense wasn't all that bad (he had to restrict himself but not too much), and there were times when the blond had stolen the ball from Aomine. Whenever that had happened, the boy grinned widely but whenever Kise had the ball, Aomine would give him the same treatment. The boys went back and forth the court, Kise often time lagging behind Aomine, and etc. Kuroko was the score-keeper, but watching them, made his eyes sparkle with amusement. They were genuinely enjoying this, and even though Kise can't play at his best, he was grinning as well.

However, their time came to an end when the janitor came in to clean up.

They exited quickly, making their way to the locker rooms.

"Man…that was fun! Let's do that again tomorrow!" Aomine said with a smile as he threw an arm over Kise's shoulder.

"Let's not." Kise sighed. "I didn't even get a point in!"

"That's why we'll continue to do this! Eventually you'll get a point!" he then smirked. "This would be great practice. Since you want to make it to the second string by September, right?"

"Hmm." Kise barely answered.

"Kuroko! Do something about him!" Aomine pleaded. "Can't you let him see the light?!"

"There is merit to what you two are doing." Kuroko started.

"See?" Aomine said as nudged Kise in the side.

"But you just want someone to play with as well."

"See?" Kise mimicked.

"Whose side are you on?"

"Me? While I appear to be neutral, I'm on my dear Kise-kun's side."

Kise's eyes brightened at that. ' _My dear Kise-kun'…_ He practically launched himself on the boy, the two crashing to the ground.

"Kurokocchi! That's so sweet!" he shrieked with happiness. But because of his shrieking, he could not hear Kuroko saying that he wanted to get up off the cold concrete. Seeing this, Aomine only shook his head and watched them with amusement, but he noticed something. Kuroko was really small. His figure was almost hidden by Kise's body and if he didn't know better, at first glance, he would've thought that Kise was just rolling around by himself.

 _That's quite frightening._ Aomine thought. But forgetting that, Aomine was beginning to get annoyed. He then walked over to where they were and gave Kise a small kick (nothing to damage him) in the ribs.

"If you want to roll with him so much, do it at home! This is a public space, you blond fool!"

"What? You were still here?" Kise asked as he got up and helped up Kuroko as well. "And who are you calling a fool?! You're the fool!"

"How could I be? This is a Public space! _Public space,_ blondie!"

"So what?! I have all right since it is a _public space_! I'm free to do whatever I want!"

"That's nonsense! You're disturbing the peace doing that! That's crazy!"

"What?! Disturbing what peace?!"

"You're rolling in the dirt! People don't roll around in the dirt!"

"Dirt?! What dirt?! There isn't much here! It's _concrete_! _Concrete!_ Who's the idiot now?!"

"Ku…" Aomine had nothing to retort Kise with. "Shit." He then murmured.

"I may not be able to beat you right now in a one-on-one, but a win is still a win."

"What was that?! Just you watch, tomorrow, I'm going to demolish you!"

"Ha! We'll see about that! Bring it on!"

All the while this was going on, Kuroko had dust himself off and walked away leaving the arguing boys. But he then wondered, why hadn't he jabbed Kise in the side to escape? With a shrug of his shoulders, he continued to the locker rooms.

 


	10. Chapter 10

...

...

 

" _Why do I keep running from the truth? All I ever think about is you…_

… _Am I crazy or falling in love? Is it really just another crush?"_

-David Archuleta " _Crush."_

 

_..._

_..._

 

When Kuroko reached home, he was exhausted. Not because of his and Kise's extra practice, it was because Kise and Aomine kept arguing over almost everything as they walked to the station. Things such as why is Kise's hair so yellow for a Japanese, and why is Aomine is so dark for a Japanese, who is the dunce from who's not, etc. It was annoying, infuriating, anything one could think of. However, it came to him as a surprise. In their previous life, he knew that Kise and Aomine argued a lot especially when it came onto his passes, but he'd never expected it to spill over in their current lives as well. He figured that Kise would have been more reserved towards Aomine, since he had that grudge against him. But, Kuroko realized, that he had thought wrong.

"I'm home." he announced as he took off his shoes at the front.

"Welcome back, Tetsu-chan." his mother greeted. "How was school today?"

"It was the usual." he replied as he entered the living room. He then made his way up the stairs when he saw his father coming down.

"Welcome home." his father greeted as he opened his arms indicating that he wanted a hug.

"Hai." Kuroko responded, burying his face in the man's chest. "Dad."

"What is it? Is something the matter?" the tone which Kuroko used, his father knew that something was up.

"I want to transfer to Meiko."

His father released him. "For what reason may that be?"

"I don't like Teikou. Their policy is too...cruel. It doesn't foster teamwork."

"Cruel? How so?" he raised his eyebrow at this. He wondered if Tetsuya had chosen the right word to describe their basketball regime.

"They prioritize winning over everything. I can't play basketball like that. I play for fun. I'm going to be uncomfortable there and won't enjoy the sport I love."

"I see." he then smiled at his son. "Let me talk this over with your mother. Alright?"

"Okay."

_xxxx_

"I'm home!" Kise chirped as he took off his shoes at the front.

"Welcome back!" Ryouhei answered from inside the kitchen. Immediately, Kise dashed into the kitchen and said,

"Papacchi! I want to transfer to Meiko!" Kise didn't hitch when asking this question. Ryouhei nearly broke the plate. "Can I please?! Please?!"

"What?!"

Kise jumped at the sudden raise of voice. "Umm...I want to transfer to Meiko." This time he used a softer voice as he thought that his father was angry.

"Really? Why?" Ryouhei asked. "You're not being bullied are you? Who is it? I'll kill them!" he said as he took up a knife. "You remember their faces, don't you?!"

"No! It's not that! Calm down, Papacchi!"

Ryouhei sighed and put down the knife. He inhaled and exhaled twice, and upon the third time, he looked to his son and asked, "Why do you want to transfer all of a sudden?"

"I don't like their basketball team. It's not fun."

"But you're in your first year. You can't judge them as yet."

"I can. There's an aura about them that pisses me off, Papacchi. And what's with that banner? Invincible? Seriously? They take winning too seriously and will do anything to do so. I don't like that. Basketball is supposed to be fun."

"I see." Ryouhei said as he leaned on the counter. He then rubbed his temples. "Alright, I'll let you transfer. But I have to tell your mother first. You know she hates when we hide anything from her. And I personally don't want to be on the receiving end of her wrath."

Kise paled. "Ah, that's right."

_xxxx_

And so, the next day started and once more, it was yet another routine for Kuroko and Kise. In the early morning, they increased their speed and stamina, at first; they jogged around the neighbourhood, after which they did their sprint sets at the court. By the time they were done with all that, they were exhausted. But the good thing was that it was clear that they were getting better. Prior to when they just started, by the time they ended their jogging session, they were basically crawling, but now, they could do all that without much unease.

And of course, Kise was turning into a monster, as expected; his speed and stamina are becoming quite frightening. Kuroko was following close behind him, even though he didn't have overwhelming speed like Kise, but he was getting fast.

Before they head home, they had decided to have a simple one-on-one. Of course, Kuroko didn't ― _couldn't_ ― stand a chance against Kise at his current best. However, that didn't mean he wasn't able to get a point in.

"Let's go, Kurokocchi!" Kise chirped as he threw the ball to Kuroko. "We'll alternate between offense and defense!"

"Okay."

The moment Kuroko said that, he dribbled towards the blond, whose defense was impeccable. Kise grinned at him, and Kuroko knew that there was no way that Kise would let him pass that easily. He was being treated as though he was a real opponent in a real match. Kuroko continued to bounce the ball, after which he went into a right to left crossover in an attempt to pass the blond. But, Kise was swift. The moment Kuroko had done so, Kise was already there to block him, and so Kuroko decided to use his vanishing drive. With a diagonal duck in, lower than the regular player, Kuroko managed to pass the blond without him being able to react.

"That's cheating, Kurokocchi!" Kise shouted when he realized what happened. No matter how many times Kuroko used this move on him; he was always left in the boy's dust.

"No it isn't Kise-kun!" Kuroko answered back with a chuckle. He had made his way to the net and got into his form for the phantom shot. Kise sighed in defeat. He knew that he couldn't stop it, so he stood behind Kuroko and watched him shoot. It went in flawlessly, Kuroko having a satisfied feel. But when he turned around to face Kise, his face was saying otherwise.

"Why didn't you try to stop me?" Kuroko sounded a bit upset.

"Ah, that shot is unstoppable. Why should ―" Kise broke off as he felt the aura oozing out of the boy's body. It was then that he deduced that he must've been upset that he gave up and didn't try. Coming from Kuroko's perspective, nothing is unstoppable until you try. Kise realized that he may have unintentionally upset the boy in that manner. Kuroko _hates_ when people give up without trying to the end. "Sorry, Kurokocchi," he apologized.

Kuroko sighed. "There's no need to apologize." He then walked to the blond. "You're on offense."

"Right."

Kise went to retrieve the ball and walked with the ball towards Kuroko. But, with every step that Kise took, Kuroko started to break out into cold sweat. Kise's aura was monstrous, and knew that the boy was not going to be going easy on him. Well, he didn't want him to either. They haven't played in any matches yet, so he figured that he'll let Kise have his way to relieve himself of that. He knew that Kise loves playing basketball either way.

Kise then dribbled the ball using the different heights dribble that he'd pick up from the future, in order to keep the ball away from Kuroko. Afterwards, he went into a left to right crossover, after which he gathered enough momentum, he dashed around Kuroko, storming for the net. But even though Kuroko chased him down, Kise was too fast, and made his shot.

"You're too fast Kise-kun," Kuroko said with a pout.

Kise didn't even reply. Seeing Kuroko with a pout on his face made his body move on instinct. Wordlessly, he lunged for the boy and embraced him into a bone-crushing hug. "You're so adorable!" he shrieked. "Can I take a picture?! Too cute!"

"Kise-kun…need to…breathe…" Kuroko wheezed out.

"Oh sorry!" Kise quickly released the boy and scratched the back of his head. "You're just really adorable when you pout, Kurokocchi. I just couldn't resist hugging you."

Kuroko's face heated up in that moment. Swiftly, he turned his face away from the blond, muttering something incoherent. He's noticing that ever since yesterday, around Kise, his heart has been racing too much. The same thing that happened yesterday recurred, the moment Kise hugged him, there was this…strange feeling. Kuroko furrowed his brows in contemplation. _What is happening?_

Some minutes then passed, they then went their separate ways to get ready for school.

_xxxx_

The school day commenced, and as usual, Kise was itching for lunchtime. He really wanted to see his Kurokocchi, as these days, he's becoming more and more expressive. Kise hummed in bliss. The pout from this morning was still fresh in his mind and it was times like these he wished that he was an artist. He knew that he'd draw up that face immediately and post it in his room.

"That would be bliss indeed." He said almost sounding a bit drunk. But then, he realized something. Why would he do _that_? It's true that in their past lives Kuroko had hardly ever shown any emotion, but there's no need to go this far right? Just thinking about the smaller teen got his heart racing, and his face quite heated. In those times, he knows that he's blushing. Kise hung his head in defeat. He didn't want to jump to conclusions, but even before they had travelled back in time, Kise had had an inkling that what he had always felt for Kuroko was more than just admiration.

More than just respect.

More than anything for that matter.

Yesterday, he had a feeling of what it was but he denied the truth then. But now, he _couldn't._ Kise was sure that this time around he's fallen for Kuroko.

With a groan, he slammed his forehead onto his desk, earning questioning looks from everyone. He didn't know that this could have been possible. He wondered just what was going to happen from now on, as if this continued, he knew that he may have to confess…and he wouldn't want to ruin his and Kuroko's friendship. No! He's worked too hard to get where he is now with Kuroko and waited too long for this chance. He will definitely _not_ ruin this.

However, little did Kise know that Kuroko was having a hard time just as he. He was sitting at his seat in the corner by the window, and gazing out. He knew that something was wrong with him when it came onto Kise. Around Kise, he felt…different. He felt happier (strangely), he showed emotions (which is something that he rarely ever did), he talks more (he's more of a private person, so why is he okay with revealing things to _Kise_ of all people?), he allows the blond to hug him, in fact, he's realizing that he _likes_ receiving his hugs (in his previous life, he repelled the blond and those hugs), but most importantly, he found that he's thinking a lot about the blond.

He dragged his hand over his face in frustration. _This can't be happening. This CANNOT be happening._ Kuroko thought. He slumped in his chair, trying his best to take his mind off the blond. Sadly, he failed miserably.

"I must be going crazy." He deduced in denial. "The side effect of time travelling is madness. How cruel." Somewhere deep down he knew the truth, but refused to believe it.

The time flew by quite quickly and before the boys knew it, it was lunchtime. For once, Kise had not dashed out of the classroom in great haste; he simply got up quite sluggishly, and made his way to the hallway. He was in deep contemplation and hadn't even realized Kuroko standing beside him. It was when the boy greeted him that he noticed. And of course, his shrieking began.

"People are staring, Kise-kun." Kuroko stated. "Don't shriek."

"Sorry."

Without a word more to each other, the two made their way onto the roof to eat. It has been a while since they ate or bought lunch in the canteen, as the cafeteria could be quite crowded on certain days, and they don't want to encounter the miracles. Worse, now since Aomine and they are some sort of acquaintances. But, for the entire time that they walked to the roof, they had been silent.

Kuroko deemed it weird for the usually chatty Kise to be this silent. It wasn't as though something happened and he was reprimanded for it…right? The way he talks about his family, Kuroko remembered that it seemed that he was well-loved and cherished and somewhat spoilt. Spoilt children don't get scolding. So, he figured that he should say something. Start the conversation for once. But, he was stuck. So the moment they opened the door and sat down, he asked,

"Are you alright, Kise-kun?"

"Ah, yeah, I think so." Kise replied half-heartedly. Now this was surprising.

"Oh really? You can't fool me." Kuroko insisted. "There's something troubling you." Kuroko needed to know, as this may greatly affect his performance. He wouldn't want his Light to be unable to perform to his optimum. Especially now that they had the 'test' coming up.

"Have you ever been in love before, Kurokocchi? Or fallen for someone?"

Kuroko felt a stab at his heart. Should he answer truthfully? Or should he not? He didn't even know himself "I guess. I'm not sure myself." That was the best course of action. But, in fact, Kuroko couldn't tell whether or not it was love or something else he had for Kise, but if he used the knowledge from the light novels and Shakespeare that he's read, then, all fingers point in that direction.

"Oh. I see."

"Are you?"

"I think so."

Kuroko grabbed his chest. Somehow, he felt a pain rising. Is this what they call sadness? He felt as such as he had a feeling that whoever Kise apparently fell for, wouldn't be― _isn't_ him.

Or is this what they call expectation? A part of him had hoped that Kise would say that 'I've fallen for you Kurokocchi!' in that repulsive screech of his.

Or is this what they call jealousy? There was another part of Kuroko that felt that way, as he deemed that there was someone _else_ on the receiving end of Kise's love. That someone…who was not _him_.

Kuroko almost ripped out his hair. Where was this feeling coming from? Why was it happening? He refused to accept what it really was, but at the same time he _wanted_ Kise's love. He was having an internal conflict. A _serious_ internal conflict. He realized that in his previous life, he was never so conflicted before. But now, he's all over the place. Did he love Kise? Has he fallen for him? Using novels as a reference, then this would have been the start to their romantic drama.

Kuroko paused.

This isn't even funny.

This time around, he's convinced, _thoroughly_ , life is being a bitch.

"Oh." He replied. _With who?_ That question was not said, but it was there. And it seemed that sadly, Kise isn't getting the message. "I hope that she feels the same way. Whoever she is." Kuroko mentally slapped himself. Why the hell was he so out of character at this moment?! He was being so obvious and if Kise didn't realize this, then he really is an idiot.

It was then that Kise chuckled. "She? Pfft!" he then laughed out.

"What?" Curiosity, Kuroko realized, is a dangerous emotion to have.

"Ah mou~" Kise started, behaving a bit nervous. Kuroko raised his eyebrows at this. "You see, Kurokocchi…" he trailed off. There was a pause that seemed like forever before the blond started up again. "You say I'm your Light, right?"

"Yes you are."

"And we're also friends right?"

"Yes we are." _Out with it already!_ Inner Kuroko was getting impatient.

"So you won't feel offended or anything if I say this, right?"

"Say what?! Kise-kun, please stop beating around the bush!" He was so out of character it's embarrassing. That and, Inner Kuroko had taken over. "Tell me already!"

"Eh?" Kise looked at Kuroko with shock at the sudden outburst. "But, you're right. What I'm trying to say is that, well, I…"

"I'm going to Ignite punch you in the face in five seconds." He deadpanned in his usual monotone. "Five…four…" he began his countdown.

"I've fallen for you Kurokocchi!" he said quickly to save his face. And yes, it was in that same repulsive screech that Kuroko had imagined earlier.

There was a pause.

Kuroko stared at Kise as though he's spoken a different language…as though he just transformed into a raging carnivorous beast. Kuroko was frozen. He couldn't believe his ears. His _couldn't_ believe it. There was some sort of relief rising within him, but he was so shocked that he couldn't even move.

"Kurokocchi?" Now Kise started to fret. "Kurokocchi? Please say something!"

"I'm fine, Kise-kun." He replied, trying to keep his composure. "If anything, I'm quite relieved."

Kise drew closer. "Relieved? Now that's a surprise. In my head I imagined this going a lot worse."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I thought that you'd hate me or avoid me or something."

"But now that I think about it, it should have been obvious from back then. You were always clinging to me, persuading me to become your shadow, et cetera, et cetera…"

Kise stopped. He realized that Kuroko was out of character. _This_ Kuroko was actually quite amusing. He stared at the boy for some seconds, as the events from couple minutes replayed in his head. Kuroko was ferociously expressive not too long ago. As he stared at the boy, he then remembered all the days that they've spent together. Since coming back here, he's learnt more about Kuroko than he did in his previous life, he's learnt about his family, his likes, dislikes, everything. Even about that childhood friend, Oikawa ― er ― Ogiwara. He's even learnt something as simple as Kuroko doesn't drink soda, not because he doesn't like them, it's simply because they're carbonated.

"Would you look at that?" He said to himself. He's made considerable strides indeed.

"What was that Kise-kun?" Kuroko asked.

"Oh, it's nothing at all. Just thinking how you hate sodas."

"Creepy. Get away from me." He joked.

"What?! No! Kurokocchi!"

_xxxx_

The school day then came to an end after hours; Kise had reverted to being his cheerful and chatty self. But remembering that they'd be having practice again Aomine, made him deflate in an instant. No matter which timeline they're in, it seems Aomine will always find Kuroko. It sort of reminded him of those reincarnated lovers tale, and frankly, it upsets him. In their previous life, there was no one there to interrupt their practice, so why when it's his time, he's still there.

Kise then sighed. "Haa…I need to stop."

He had then exited the classroom, but as he did so, he ended up running into Akashi. Kise nearly had a heart attack. The small redheaded teenager looked at him with piercing eyes, and somehow, Kise was relieved that they were both still red and not heterochromatic.

"Ah, sorry." Kise replied swiftly.

"There's no need." Akashi said in his usual calm manner. Before he walked off, he stopped and turned to look back at him. "Do you play any sports?"

"Yes, why do you ask?"

"You look like the type who would." He chuckled lightly. Kise didn't like where this is going. "May I ask, what sport do you play?"

Kise paused. Should he lie? Should he tell the truth? He wanted to lie, since he and Kuroko were going to be transferring, but this was _Akashi Seijuurou_ , in their previous lives, he's always managed to find out anything he wanted, so he wouldn't be surprised if it was the same here. Plus, sooner or later Aomine will rat them out. And then again, he'll face them in the tournament when they transferred.

"Basketball." He answered. He decided to tell the truth.

Akashi's brows furrowed. "String? I'm not boasting, but I'm in the first."

"Really?! In first year!? So envious!" he said, pretending to be surprised. Inner Kise was rolling his eyes with disgust. And plus, he couldn't indicate that he already knew from Aomine or anything of the sort. That'll just make things worse. "I'm in the third string. I'm nowhere near your level."

"Don't say such a thing. With hard work, who knows? You may make it to the first string."

"I know, I know." He answered. He didn't want to say that he can't dribble either or something along that line, as according to Kuroko, he, Midorima and Murasakibara will come into the gym one day in search of Aomine. He can't let them meet this early. The less, the merrier.

"Well, I hope you'll move through the strings. You look like you have serious war potential."

Kise smirked and almost answered ' _You have no idea'_ but he restrained himself. "Thanks for the compliment."

After that, Akashi exited through the door, Kise remained for a couple seconds. He had a feeling that this was foreshadowing something to come, so he decided that the moment he meets up with Kuroko, he'll tell him.

"Kise-kun, aren't you leaving?" a voice took him out of his thoughts.

As if on cue.

"Kurokocchi," no, Kise was not surprised at all. "I just spoke to Akashicchi."

"Why?"

"We accidentally bumped into each other and he asked me if I played any sport. I wanted to lie, but I ended up telling the truth. Anyway, he didn't say anything life threatening, just that I look like I have 'serious war potential' and I didn't reveal anything. But I have a feeling that…"

"…we'll be seeing him earlier than previous."

"Yeah. Or he says something to the other miracles about me and then Aominecchi connects the dots and goes 'I know him!' and then…"

"I know. I know." Kuroko sighed. "For now, let's just get to practice."

With that the two boys headed to the locker rooms to get changed.

They had finally reached the locker rooms of the third gym, but the atmosphere was gloomy. _As always,_ Kise thought. For a person of a bubbly personality like his, this string was not meant for him at all. All the players seem a bit despondent, and what was even worse, they don't play any match at all. It was like they were just there for Teikou to boast that they had three strings. If things stayed like this, it was going to drive Kise insane.

They quickly changed out of their uniforms and into their clothes for training. Kise wore an orange v-neck t-shirt and a pale yellow shorts while Kuroko wore a white t-shirt and blue shorts. When they were done, they and a couple more boys had exited the locker rooms going to the gym. They chatted along the way about things not related to basketball, but as soon as they opened the doors to the gym, both Kise and Kuroko noticed that the boys' faces seemed to drop.

Matsuoka was already there waiting, and given a couple more minutes, the other boys entered.

"Today, we'll be having a match against the second-string." He announced. Instantly, Kise perked up, giving the coach his maximum attention. "Get ready in groups."

With a fool's grin, he turned to Kuroko and said, "A match! Kurokocchi, we're having a match!"

"I heard Kise-kun." Kuroko deadpanned. "Have you forgotten that coach had said that we'll be getting a test this week? So, we'll _play a little._ "Hearing that, Kise grinned even more. Looking at him, Kuroko started to wonder just how wide could Kise's mouth stretch. But then, the boys in the gym started shuffling. Since they were going up against the second stringers, it's quite obvious that they'd form groups of fives. After all was said and done, of course, Kuroko and Kise were on the same team.

It was not long after that the boys from the second string entered. There was an air of intimidation about a couple of them, and looking at them, Kise remembered some of these boys to be egotistical assholes. He grinned. It seems that it's not only the miracles who need saving.

Kise smirked as he looked at the pompous second stringers; there were even some who had tried to calm their teammates down about that. But sadly, nothing worked. What made it even worse was that it just so happen that Matsuoka and the coach of the second string had exited the gym due to _some_ apparent reason. That left the Third stringers alone with the second stringers.

"Well, well," a boy started. He seemed to be the leader of the idiots. "You're all hoping for a chance to enter the second string, huh." Kise was totally unaffected. The only thing in his mind was that he hoped that his group got to play this guy's team. He then looked across to Kuroko and saw that the boy was upset.

Oh, they're in for a beat down alright.

"But don't get your hopes up. The second string isn't for trash like you. Even if you somehow make it to the second string, there's no way you'd be able to keep up. You'll just get demoted back to the third string." he chuckled loudly. His minions were laughing at the obvious insult which was not a joke in any way, shape or form.

"Oh stop it. You're disgusting." Another second stringer spoke up. He then looked to the group of the third stringers. "Ignore them. They're idiots."

But even so, Kuroko was angry. Even though he hadn't had a friendship with the other guys of his string, they were still string-mates, if that's a thing. He's seen the boys work hard at everything they did, and even from his previous life, they had always worked hard. Plus, they were also insulting Kise. No one is allowed to insult his Light like that. With a step, he took up a basketball and headed towards the group.

Kise's eyes nearly pop out of their sockets. This was the third time that Kuroko was doing something like this. The first being that one time in Teikou in their second year when they had stumbled upon some thugs at the street court; the second time was when they were in high-school, right after the Kaijou-Seirin practice match. Kise dragged his hand over his face, _Kurokocchi, you're a real piece of work._

By the time Kuroko reached up to the group of boys, they hadn't even noticed.

"You can't talk that about the third string." Kuroko said to the boy. However, Kise was the only one who heard the anger in his voice. The boys sprang backwards in fright, but quickly recovered themselves to spit out another insult.

"Ha! Look at him! There's no way he'd make it into the second string!"

"You can't beat us!" another boy of the group said.

Hearing that, Kise grinned. "Oh really?" he said as he walked up towards the group. "How about we test that theory out?" No one is supposed to speak ill about his Kurokocchi and live to tell the tale.

"Two against five? Don't make me laugh!" the leader laughed at them. Even the other boys in the gym were worried at that. They were third stringers; they couldn't possibly be able to match up against _five_ second stringers.

"Sure, two-on-five is fine. Or are you afraid that you'll lose to us?"

"What? Of course not!" The leader grinned confidently. "You know what, let's go! We'll crush you!"

Kuroko and Kise smirked.

_xxxx_

The entire gym was left in awe. There, on the floor, were the second stringers, panting for air. Kuroko and Kise had hardly even broken a sweat. Everyone's jaws hung to the floor, as the duo then made their way to the stage to sit. That said, no one took their eyes off them. The third stringers wanted to jump and scream at the second stringers' demise, but they were too shocked to do so.

"Kise-kun, I think we may have overdone it." Kuroko said with a little wariness in his voice. "Everyone's staring at us."

"So? Let them stare." he shrugged. "It's not like we're going to be here for much longer. Summer's right around the corner."

"That's true but, I feel uncomfortable." Kuroko said. Hearing that, without even a word, Kise took Kuroko by the wrist and pulled him out of the gym. By the time they were outside, Kise then looked to Kuroko,

"Are you feeling better now?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"Good. Anytime you feel uncomfortable, just tell me. I'll do anything to help."

Kuroko chuckled. "Knight in shining armor, much."

"Of course! And you're my precious Kurokocchi in distress."

"I'm not in distress. I can take care of myself." Kuroko made a pout here. Kise did not hold himself back.

"Too cute!" he screeched as he embraced him in a hug. "So adorable!"

"Kise! Kuroko! What are you two doing outside?!" Matsuoka roared as he and the other coach were walking to the gym.

Kise quickly released Kuroko and responded, "Well, we had beat―" Kise broke off as a hand covered his mouth.

"We needed some fresh air." Kuroko interjected. He then sent a look in Kise's direction, which the blond could only interpret as ' _are you an idiot?'_.

"Fresh air, huh?" Matsuoka sighed. "Well, the test is starting the moment we enter the gym. As a matter of fact, since I won't take your 'need fresh air' for an excuse, your team will be going first."

The boys didn't mind at all. The two coaches then opened the gym doors and the sight that they stumbled upon left them baffled. Not too long ago, they had left everyone intact, but now, five second stringers were lying on the court, panting heavily. And looking around at everyone else, they saw that they had on a look of shock as though something had happened. Sensing the oncoming question, Kise and Kuroko whisked themselves away to hide in the crowd.

"Wha-what happened here?" the coach of the second string asked. "Why are the boys so…?"

But no one said anything. Everyone looked at each other contemplating whether or not they should tell the truth. The other second stringers wanted to but they felt that neither of the coaches would believe them.

"Well? Won't we be getting an answer?" Matsuoka asked.

The boys shook their heads. The two coaches sighed. Seeing the look on the boys' faces, they knew something happened, but they made plans to find that out.

"Alright. The test will be starting!" Matsuoka started. "Kuroko and Kise's team, you're first!"

"You second stringers, get up!" Second Coach roared. The boys complied, but as they stood up, the coaches got yet another surprise. The looks on their faces were etched with defeat; their coach narrowed his eyes at them. "I'm going drill it out of them." He murmured to himself.

The two teams then assembled, and upon seeing who were in the third string team, the second stringers started breaking out in cold sweat.

"Hiii!" there was a screech coming from the other set of second stringers. "We can't possibly go up against them!"

"What?!" the two coaches roared.

"They-they-they were the ones who beat them!"

Matsuoka's jaw dropped. He then looked to his team and couldn't believe it. To be able to beat the second string so badly that they looked as though they had just finished playing a tournament match. What the hell?

"You five beat those five?" Second Coach asked. By now, Kuroko and Kise started to fret. Kise stepped forward to say something, but he was a second too late.

"No we didn't." one of the boys said. "It was Kise and Kuroko who beat them."

Kuroko wanted to go hide under a rock, as for Kise, he wished the earth would swallow him whole right there. The two coaches looked at the boys with an expression that seemed to be a mix between bewilderment and astonishment.

"We got lucky, that's all." Kise said, trying not to make them seem overpowered. "They're just tired because they were doing some serious warm-ups prior. We couldn't possibly beat them." He continued, "I mean, Coach, two _third-stringers_ beating a whole team of _second-stringers_? That's unbelievable, right?"

Kuroko nodded vigorously while Kise said all that.

"So you're saying that your string-mates are lying?" Matsuoka asked. He wanted to know who was behind this. And given the fact that the other second stringers were afraid of them, then that adds everything up.

"No we're not." Kuroko joined in. Second Coach jumped in fright as he never took notice of the boy. "It's as Kise-kun says. Yes, we had beaten them, but it was because they were already tired. They weren't at their full strength."

"But even so, there were five of them against the two of you. No matter how tired they are, they shouldn't have lost. I know my boys, you know." Second Coach said. He never believed the boys one bit.

Matsuoka then sighed. This was giving him a headache. "You know what; the test is put off until Friday. As a matter of fact, you all can have the rest of the day off." He then turned to the other coach, "We need to sort this out."

"Agreed." Second Coach said. He then looked back to the boys. "My boys…to the gym for practice!" A depressed moan escaped the lips of the second stringers as they moved out. "Is that a request for double training, I hear?"

Immediately they perked up and dashed out shouting, "No sir!"

_xxxx_

After the gym had cleared out, once more, Kuroko and Kise were left alone to practice. With this, they had the entire time to practice whatever they wanted. Kise had been ecstatic about this, so too was Kuroko. This way, they could get their practice out of the way before Aomine comes. This time, like previous days, they started with Kise doing Akashi's ankle break. He had gotten it in their last practice, but just for revision, he did it again. So next on his list, were Murasakibara's defense and his Thor's Hammer. He knew that the giant's dunk was just a powered up tornado dunk, but the strength in that was immense. Kise was starting to wonder if he'd get that part right, being able to blow people away with that.

He smirked. Of course, he'd do it. After all, he's Kise Ryouta.

They then got started; Kuroko used the Ignite pass to get the ball to Kise who was already heading down the court with a speed. And as soon as the blond reached into the paint area, he continued, almost seeming as though he wanted to run to the corner. But reaching the net, he then jumped and spun with the ball, dunking with all the strength that he had in his body.

When he landed, he gave Kuroko a triumphant grin, and two thumbs up but the look on the boy's face says otherwise.

"Kise-kun, the hoop." Kuroko said, his face was as pale as a sheet.

"Eh?" he turned around and saw it. The hoop was dangling from one of hinges, as the others had been ripped off. In any moment, it seemed that it would have fallen off. "Shit! Let's move, Kurokocchi!"

"Just so you know, I'm not paying for anything." He replied. "It's your fault for turning into Kagami-kun." He said remembering the Kaijou-Seirin practice match.

Kise chuckled at that. "What are you talking about? We were never in here after everyone else left."

With that, the boys briskly exited the gym and went to change in the locker room. That day, they had to go to the street court to finish their practice.

_xxxx_

When Aomine entered the third gym, he noticed that it was empty, but one thing caught his eyes. The hoop. There it was, dangling from a single bolt.

"Who could've done _that_?" he asked himself.

The janitor then came in after many minutes and saw Aomine practicing at the half of the court with the better hoop. When he saw the broken one, he asked,

"Laddie, are you the one who did that?"

"Uh, no. I came here and saw it."

"Hmm? How's that possible? The third stringers were given the day off. And yesterday I left it in a fine condition. There's no way it could have _just_ fallen off like that." He then shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe this gym is haunted and we never knew until now."

Aomine started to fret. "This gym is haunted?"

"Possibly. It's the only way to explain that destroyed hoop."

And so, Aomine dashed out of the third gym without even a word more to the janitor.

"What's wrong with him?"

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	11. Chapter 11

...

...

 

" _Meeting you was fate, becoming your friend was a choice, falling in love with you was beyond my control!"_

Unknown.

 

...

...

 

 

And so, the rest of the week continued, Kuroko and Kise doing their daily routines. In the mornings, they'd jog and sprint, and in the evenings after practice they'd continue to improve on their skills until Aomine came to join them. Kise focused on Murasakibara's defense and Thor's Hammer for the rest of that week, Kuroko kept on improving his precision passes. The boys were much better than when they had just started out, and they knew that with the coming weeks, they'll be forces to reckon with. In Akashi's term, they'd be 'serious war potentials'. Well, they already are.

In Kuroko's opinion, once they start Meiko, he knows that Kise and Ogiwara are going to be competitive with each other. He didn't mind that, as it would push the latter in trying to surpass Kise which would most definitely help him to grow. To be honest, he doesn't know what Ogiwara was like in their first year of middle school, and in their second year he didn't even get to see him play. It was only in his third year that he got a glance at it, it wasn't even that long. So, in essence, he barely knows what Ogiwara's play style is like, what his skills are and so forth.

Their extra practices were exciting and comical, the moment Aomine opens the door, Kuroko could feel the shift in Kise's spirit. He couldn't tell whether or not it was anger, resentment, jealousy, or whatever, but the blond who was usually chirpy and just a ball of sunshine, would be reduced to nothing more than a boy who just wants to beat Aomine. He could, though, if he actually tries.

The two boys would then somehow manage to start a competition, which would somehow end up in a one-on-one match, which Kise would lose graciously. He'd often time grit his teeth in bitter rage, and Kuroko didn't know how to cheer up the boy to prevent his suffering. After all, in front of Aomine, Kise had to take it easy, since he told him that he couldn't dribble. Following that premise, he has to take this steady, so that Aomine won't come to the right conclusion of them withholding their abilities. Kuroko then chuckled, realizing that Kise's current suffering is his own fault.

Apart from that, Aomine would give them tips on how to defend. Kise nearly rolled his eyes. This was something that he already knew, so it was a bit annoying. Hell, this entire experience was. Constantly restraining himself was quite frustrating. There were also times when Aomine would come, seeming exhausted and when asked about it, he'd rant about his troubles with the other miracles, Haizaki included.

The first time, he'd complain about a practice match they recently had. In the middle of the third quarter, Nijimura had been subbed off for Haizaki. That was the start of the war between him and the silver-haired teen. Even though they were power forward and small forward, their play styles were a bit similar, and thus, both boys were always arguing about who Akashi should pass the ball to. Sadly in their case, when they become like that, Akashi simply passes to Midorima or makes the shot himself.

The second time, this was the start of the preliminaries for the summer championship, this time against one of the top teams in middle school basketball. Aomine had complained that even though they won, Akashi had kept mumbling to Midorima that the win was narrow and he wished that he had had a curve ball. This ignited something within Kuroko, and after their practice was over, he told Kise that they should be expecting the three to appear soon.

But, that week, their extra training with Aomine progressed abnormally smoothly (minus the fact that Aomine and Kise would start arguing over the pettiest of things).

On Friday, they were supposed to have the 'test', but instead, the first stringers had had a practice match. It was held in the first gym, and all the other strings were encouraged to watch. Kuroko and Kise didn't. They took this time when everyone would be occupied with cheering, to practice and perfect what needed perfecting.

When the match had ended and Matsuoka was passing by, he heard the sounds in the gym and took a peek. He saw the two boys fervently practicing and he couldn't help but smile. He figured that he'll move those two up. After all, the second stringers were quite afraid of them.

Still on that note, Matsuoka and Second Coach did an investigation, on the incident earlier in the week. They questioned everyone except Kuroko and Kise, since they were the accused. And much to the coaches' surprise, _all_ the boys told the same story, with a few variations here and there depending on the point of view. They knew that the boys were telling the truth, as one: there would be no reason to lie that two third stringers beat a whole team of five second stringers, two: the punishment for lying would be quadrupled training, so of course, they'd spill the entire truth of what happened during the course of the entire day if they had to.

With that information, Matsuoka was still thinking of just moving them up to the second string, while Second Coach was thinking of just shipping them off to the first. Defeating a team of second stringers, the best to boot, is no easy feat. And to make it worse, it was just the two of them. Second Coach clearly thinks that they're first string worthy. He believed that even though they may not make it to the regulars, they could be cultivated to become monsters.

Matsuoka had agreed on that.

And so, the week ended with the coaches deciding to put the two in the first string.

On the weekend, Kise had had a shoot to do (Ruiko milking every free time out him since he had 'betrayed' her), and as usual begged Kuroko to accompany him. Well, it wasn't much of a begging per say, he asked once, Kuroko agreed. Kise had been taken aback by this sudden development, but he remembers what had happened earlier in the week.

He had confessed to Kuroko on the roof, and the boy had basically said that he was relieved. But of what? It was clear that he didn't hate him, as he received his hugs better these days, but still, nothing changed. Which Kise was both thankful and sorrowful for. He was glad that they had remained friends, Light and Shadow and that entire fancy thing, but he was sad that nothing had progressed further. It was then that he realized that he's so conflicted his hair might start changing colour.

The shoot had been a success, and he was free to do what he wanted afterwards. That meant, they would be going to a street court to continue practicing.

Well, that's what he thought.

Instead, Kuroko had said that he wanted a milkshake from Maji, and it so happened that they ended up staying there for quite some time, chatting about all sorts of things. Kise found this as a surprise, but nonetheless, he enjoyed every bit of it. He had also managed to draw out another side of Kuroko which he never thought would be possible.

Yes, Kise had deduced, time travelling is the best.

And so the time passed by quickly, and then, they had lost all their motivation to go practice, so they ended up just walking around. There was even one point in time that they ended up going to Karaoke. Kise had started to feel like it was some sort of impromptu date, but he realized that it was probably just him. When it came onto Kuroko, there was a side of him that always had ulterior motives. After all, before travelling back, he'd _always_ wished that he and Kuroko would have gone out, even just once.

"The gods are smiling down upon me." He had murmured to himself. Luckily, Kuroko had heard nothing.

But in the smaller teen's case, he had found this fun. Unlike the blond who had always had ulterior motives, Kuroko genuinely enjoyed this adventure. Even though it brought out a chatty side to him (which even he was surprised that he had). After they were finished, the last thing they did was stop by a convenience store and bought popsicles. This brought back memories of their previous life, as often times (before the miracles had turned into monsters), they'd buy popsicles and eat together on the way home. Since they had changed their plan from the two-on-two to transferring to another school, that way the miracles would have never met them (minus Aomine), and so buying popsicles after practice would never happen in their 's a painful road to take, but both boys realize that it's for the best.

"I wonder what's going to happen after we transfer." Kise then said aloud. "I wonder how they'll turn out."

By this time, they were sitting comfortably on a bench, eating their popsicles.

"Well, we won't know." Kuroko replied after he had bitten down in the popsicle. "But, one thing is for sure, after we defeat them, I think they'll stay the way we know and loved."

"If they haven't changed into monsters by then." Kise sighed. "I mean, things have been sped up, so I'm not surprised if by Winter we see Akashicchi with heterochromatic eyes." He shivered as he said that.

"Well, all we have to do is defeat them with teamwork, right?"

"About that, what's Meiko's team even like? In their third year they made it to the finals and were completely destroyed by us but prior to that, I hadn't heard anything about them."

"Well…" Kuroko started. "…I don't know myself. But, you know you can't compare Teikou and Meiko…with anyone as a matter of fact."

"Yeah, you're right about that."

"But I can tell you this, if we are to win the tournaments, they're going to need serious help from us. I know for a fact that they aren't even in the top ten middle schools. Their record isn't that astounding."

"My God, that's going to be difficult." Kise sighed in distress.

"What are you talking about? They aren't invalids and they certainly don't have a body type like mine so with the best methods, they'll be cultivated into…what was the term again?"

"War potentials." Kise grinned. He realized that both he and Kuroko have taken a like to that term. But still, the basketball matches they've known is reminiscent of war anyways.

"Exactly."

Thus, they passed the rest of their time chatting away.

By the time both boys had reached their respective homes, they were greeted with good news that Meiko had space for them to transfer over the summer. However, they'd have to get good grades on their proficiency tests to be fully accepted. For them, it should be a piece of cake.

_xxxx_

The next school week began, and for once, Kuroko and Kise didn't have their morning , they had still met each other in the library. It was sort of becoming some sort of routine, coming to school and meeting there.

"So, Kurokocchi," Kise had started. He didn't even know what he wanted to talk about.

"Yes, Kise-kun?" Kuroko said in the most adorable tone that Kise had ever heard.

"You're making my heart race, stop it." He said out loud. However, it was supposed to be said within his thoughts. Right now, Kise wanted to run.

Kuroko then smirked, which frightened Kise. Kuroko smirking? That's unheard of! "Really now, Kise-kun?" he continued to tease. He found this highly amusing.

"Yes, Kurokocchi!"

"You over there, be quiet!"

Kise shrunk in his seat at that. Kuroko wanted to bust with laughter. He settled for a chuckle, Kise sneaking managed to talk out his phone and snapped a picture. Swiftly, he placed it back into his pocket.

Suppressing his laughter, Kuroko then said, "So Kise-kun, how do you feel about your improvements so far?"

The blond grinned. "I feel like I can move mountains! So far I can reproduce what the miracles have done in the future, or is it the past since it had happened before this?"

"It doesn't matter." Kuroko said. "Going by the date, it would be the future; going by what we experienced first it would be the past."

"Oh. Confusing much."

"Tell me about it." Kuroko shrugged. "But anyway, back to the topic. You feel like you can move mountains? That's quite a bit of a stretch."

"Could be, but, we haven't played any real match so I really can't say. But, compared to my previous life, I can tell that I can take them on. One-on-one that is."

"I see." Kuroko nodded. "And my passes? How do you feel about them? Do they need work?"

Kise was shocked. In their previous life, Kuroko had never asked if his passes need work. They were always perfect in his eyes. And well, since no one else ever complained or found a fault, he thought that everyone was fine with them. _The Touou-Seirin match is still haunting him, huh?_ Kise thought. That's the only conclusion that he could draw from this. Watching that match had made so many emotions course through his body at the time, but the ones he felt the most were sadness and anger. Sad that Kuroko's passes were all blocked by Aomine and anger that Aomine had done such a thing to his Kurokocchi.

"To me, your passes are fine. The Ignite and Cyclone passes lands in my palms so perfectly sometimes I think I have the ability to summon the ball to my hands." Even though he said this as a joke, he had meant it. "The precision passes are fine too. I mean, usually after I receive those passes I'm able to go into a comfortable position to shoot right away. I don't have a problem."

"I see."

"The persons you'd have to ask that are those at Meiko. I mean, you'll have to get accustomed to their styles as well, right? For instance, the angle that _I_ want the ball isn't necessarily the same angle that _Oikawa_ would want it right?"

"Yeah," Kuroko replied, but then his face took on a more irritated look. "For the last time, his name is Ogiwara. O-GI-WA-RA."

"I see no difference. Oikawa-Ogiwara, they both start with 'O' and end with 'A' don't they?"

Kuroko sighed. This must be on purpose. "Aomine-kun was right, you really are an idiot. How can Oikawa and Ogiwara be the same?"

"I'm an idiot?" Kise nearly screeched. "Aominecchi is the idiot not me! Kurokocchi, don't lump me together with him! You're breaking my heart!"

"Well then, I'll help you fix that broken heart." He casually said.

Deeply moved, Kise lunged for him. "I love you Kurokocchi!"

"You two, get out this instant!"

And with that, the two boys were thrown out of the library.

_xxxx_

After school, the boys made their way to the locker rooms and changed swiftly. However, throughout this, they noticed that the atmosphere seems to have gotten heavy the moment they entered. But blowing that aside, when they made it to the gym and entered, Matsuoka halted them in their tracks.

"Ah you two," he greeted with a clipboard in his hands. "First thing, do you know what happened to the hoop?" Matsuoka asked as he pointed at the destroyed hoop.

"No." both boys replied strangely in sync.

"Alright. Secondly, as of today, you'll be practicing with the first string."

There was a pause.

"Excuse me, what?" Kise asked with shock. "First string? Why? We can't."

"Well, it was decided that you two will be move up since all the boys testified that you two were the ones who had beaten the team of second stringers."

"This is a disaster." Kuroko said aloud. "Can't we enter the second string instead?"

"Why Kuroko-kun? This is a good chance to make it on the regulars. Why wouldn't ―"

"We just aren't ready for the first string." Kise quickly interjected. "I mean, we've told you before, it was all luck. There's no way ―"

Matsuoka's sighing cut him off. "What's the matter with you two? Why are you so afraid to enter the first string? Many guys here would kill to have this opportunity. Nothing you say will get you out of this matter."

Kise paled while Kuroko wracked his brain for an excuse. But nothing persuasive came up. The only thing that he thought of was telling the coach that they'll be transferring. And well, he didn't want to.

"Do we really have to go to the first string? Seriously Coach, can't we just go to the second? Please?" Kise was literally begging.

"Takeda doesn't want you there. He thinks it's unfair for you both, and the boys are still terrified of you two."

"But we aren't scary! We're actually quite gentle!" Kise's eyes were welling up with water. And to make things worse, Kise didn't want to remain in the third string. Neither does Kuroko. "Coach! Please!"

"Kise-kun, Kuroko-kun, it's already been decided. I don't want you to stay in this string because from what the boys had said, you have talent. Add to that, your tenacity is astounding. It's a waste to stay here. Takeda thinks so as well. He wouldn't accept you into his string because that would be simply hindering you from the growth you could be getting if you were in the first."

Kise almost ripped out his hair in frustration. He crumbled to his knees in defeat as he was running out of ideas. He then felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Coach, could you give us some time to think this over?" Kuroko then asked.

"Well…" he started, "…Sanada is already waiting for your arrival so I don't think…"

"We just need some time to prepare ourselves to enter the first string. After all, this is a big leap."

Matsuoka understood that much. "Alright, but don't take too long."

"How about a week?"

The coach gasped. "Why so long?"

"It is the first string after all, Coach. I've heard stories that the training is so intense that people vomit, but most importantly, the philosophy is 'winning is everything'. I would like us to condition our minds for that. A week is all we need. It may be less, though." That is a complete lie though, since this week they would be given their proficiency tests, Kuroko is hoping that after they get the results, they could leave for Meiko. Hopefully.

"Fine," Matsuoka finally succumbed.

"Alright, let's go Kise-kun." He said as he turned to the blond. He looked back to the Coach, "Thank you Coach."

Kuroko then dragged Kise out of the gym and into the locker rooms. When he sat down, he raked a shaking hand through his sky-blue hair and let out a sigh. Who would have thought that things would have turned out this way? Even though in his previous life he had moved up from third string to first, this was unexpected. Wait…

"Kise-kun, this is all your fault." He said.

"Eh? What? I'm sorry!" he wailed. But then, a second later, he responded, "Kurokocchi I beg to differ on that one. You were the one who approached those guys who were bad-mouthing us! I was just there to back you up! Moral support! You started it!"

"But, you could have stayed where you are."

"I couldn't have left you alone with those bastards! Are you crazy!?"

Kuroko laughed. "But anyway, I'm not talking about _that._ "

"Then what?"

"You being in the basketball club earlier than the previous lifetime. If you think about it, in my previous life, I had moved from the third string up to the first, with you, you had moved to the first string after what, a month?"

"I guess. I had spent two weeks in the second string, and I think three weeks in the third string. So, then, yeah about that much."

"Then, that's what happened this time around. I still moved up to the first string from the third, and you moved up after a month of joining. It's just that this happened earlier than in our previous lives." He then sighed. "I'm just dying for this to be over with. This is annoying."

"Very." Kise agreed. "By the way, what are we going to do now since we're technically in the first string? I mean, what Coach said made sense, and in addition to that, the second string coach would feel terrible if we went there. Not to mention the players."

"What's worse, they had already informed the first string coach about us starting practice with them eventually."

"This really is a disaster." Kise sighed. "I mean, I wouldn't want when we transfer to Meiko, they find out that we were in the first string. That will just make us seem too overpowered."

"Then it's either we go to the first string or we just leave the club."

"Le-leave?!"

"Well, it wouldn't make much of a difference. In the third string, we're only practicing. It isn't like we have external practice matches anyway."

"That's true." Kise then perked up. "And we won't have to practice with Aominecchi anymore! You'll be all mine!"

"Kise-kun, that sounds creepy. Are you a possessive boyfriend or something?"

Kise gave him a playful look. "Maybe." He then smirked. "After all, you said you'll help mend my broken heart earlier."

Kuroko paused. He then felt his face heat up and promptly turned away from him. His feelings were becoming quite troublesome. Rubbing his temples, he then made a mental note to see his father the instant he went home. Surely, he'll have some good advice.

He then cleared his throat before responding, "Right." He then began changing. "I have to talk with my father, so let's just go home today."

"O-Okay." Kise replied. He then wondered if it was something he said. He was starting to feel bad and thought that maybe he shouldn't have told Kuroko. But then again, his father had always said ' _what stays too long, serves a different master'_. He couldn't let that happen with his Kurokocchi. He'd be crushed for the rest of his life.

And so the two got dressed wordlessly and then headed home.

_xxxx_

The moment Kuroko reached home, he barely even greeted his mother and dashed to his father who was sitting in the sofa reading a novel.

"Dad." He started. "I need your help."

"What is it, Tetsuya?"

"I don't know if I'm falling for someone or something else."

"Tell me your struggles."

"Every time I'm around this person my heart start's racing ―"

"It's adrenaline." He deadpanned.

Kuroko was not amused. "My face heats up and I start blushing whenever they compliment me saying I'm cute and adorable."

"You're not heating up nor are you blushing. You're just in the sun for too long. It's making you delusional."

"Sometimes I get butterflies in my stomach."

"Butterflies? It's probably just gas. When you feel like that, just drink some warm tea." He shrugged his shoulders. "You'll feel much better."

Kuroko sighed. His father was being playful at a time like this? "I think about this person a lot. I had even had some sort of internal conflict when they said that they had fallen for someone. I had wished that it was me."

"Well…" his father said. "…it seems that you have started to feel an intense liking towards this person. I mean, I felt the same way with your mother." He then turned his face over his shoulder. "Asami-chan! Our little boy has fallen!"

"Really, Hikaru-kun?!" his mother shouted from the kitchen. She then rushed over to them and took a seat beside Kuroko. "Who's she?! How did you two meet?!" Asami was too excited for her own good. Her blue eyes sparkled with nothing but joy. "If you ever heard how your father and I met then you'd think ―"

"―that we're soulmates." Hikaru cut off. Obviously, he was hiding something from his son.

Kuroko raised an eyebrow at that. His father was withholding information from him. That's unheard of. But, getting back to the issue at hand, he went into his pocket and took out his phone. Scrolling through his gallery, he stopped at a certain picture of a certain blond.

"Mom, it's not a she. It's him." He said as he pushed the phone to Asami.

The colour drained out of her face as she let out a gasp. She then grabbed the phone and looked at Kise. She then looked back to her son. "He does have quite the face."

"Let me see." Hikaru took the phone from Asami and examined the picture. He does admit that Kise has a beautiful face and a blinding smile to boot. But that may lead to a problem. However, he noticed something else. "Why is it that looking at this boy makes me upset for some reason?"

"Is it because he's good looking?" Kuroko asked.

"No," his mother replied for Hikaru. "It's because he looks scarily familiar."

"How so?"

"Anyway, Asami-chan, it's time for father-son bonding. This is a serious matter."

"Alright." With that, after she placed a kiss on Kuroko's cheek, she left to resume whatever she was doing in the kitchen. Then the air suddenly got heavy. Kuroko did breathing exercises, preparing himself for the onslaught.

"Tetsuya, to be honest, all those feelings do indicate that what you feel for this person is more than just friendship." Hikaru started. "But these pretty boys are a dangerous breed. I'm speaking from experience. Beneath those pretty faces are often time devils. Bastards they all are."

"Really?"

"Yes, my best friend is one such. And that bastard went and ―" he cut himself off before he could finish. "What I'm saying is to be careful."

"I see."

"How long have you been feeling like this?"

"I think I've feeling that way for a while but never realized until yesterday when I thought deeply about my actions around him."

Hikaru sighed. "Hear what, continue like this. Give it a month or so, if these feelings persist into possession, then you've truly fallen. Sometimes, it's just a little crush so give it some time to sort out. But, I'll say this again, pretty boys are dangerous."

Kuroko then remembered Izuki-senpai. He was classified as an ikemen, even though he wasn't as beautiful as Kise was, he was the most popular out of everyone on their team. It was just his awful puns that caused his ranking to drop. He was, by no means a devil, and neither was Kise. Sure, he has had ulterior motives, but at least it wouldn't end up hurting him.

"Well, Kise-kun isn't a 'devil' so to speak nor is he dangerous, I think. Umm, he's my friend and my partner in basketball. He's often time childish but when he wants to be, he can be really smart. He's hardworking and puts his all into achieving whatever goal he sets. He can be a bit irritating, and whiny and infuriating but he's really awesome."

"I see." Hikaru nodded. But then he realized something. His face twisted was though he smelt rotting flesh. "Did you say ' _Kise_ -kun'?"

"Yes."

"What's his full name?"

"Kise Ryouta."

"His father is Kise Ryouhei isn't he?"

"Hai."

"To think that fu―" he started but stopped himself as he realized that Kuroko was sitting beside him. "Excuse me for a moment." He got up and headed into the kitchen. Due to the swinging door, he couldn't see what happened. But after some seconds more like, probably some minutes, it was his mother who emerged.

"I'll be taking over." She said with a smile.

"Why did Dad leave?"

"To cool his head." she chuckled. "He told me that the boy who stole your heart is Kise Ryouta, right?" Kuroko nodded. "Well, your Kise-kun happens to be the son of your father's best friend."

Kuroko nearly fainted. _What kind of development is this?! My life is not a drama!_ He inwardly screamed. Was this the case in their previous lives as well? More than likely. After all, he and Kise never got this close, so his parents would have never known. He knew that he's going to get a headache in the coming days. And plus, their actions here could never have influenced the past of their parents.

"Then why did Dad leave? Shouldn't he be more…?"

"Oh no," Asami chuckled. "They're the type who would murder each other on the spot if they were to meet."

"How is that best friendship?"

"It's hard to explain. You'd have to hear the story but let's save that for another time." She then took on a more serious face. "Tetsuya," oh yes, this was serious. Asami never calls him Tetsuya. "While it is true that you may have fallen for this boy, but is love or is it just a crush? How do you feel about this person? There are times when people mistake crushes for love and get carried away. When they realize it's already too late."

"Mom…"

"I know this because I've known people who have experienced this. Luckily, they were in high school at the time. But anyway, I want you to make sure that it isn't a crush that you have but genuine love. I wouldn't want my precious Tetsu to come home with a broken heart. You know your father will murder Kise-kun."

"I see."

"The best way to do this, go on a date for a month and report to me the developments!" She perked. "I'll guide you on the way." She then mumbled to herself. "Even though, I would have preferred if Kise-kun was actually Kise-chan."

 _What is this woman thinking?!_ Kuroko almost screamed out. "What?! No!"

" _Yes,_ Tetsu-chan." She emphasized the 'yes' far too much. "If nothing really changes, then it was just a crush. But if the feelings become stronger as though you're becoming possessive then…"

"Alright, fine." Kuroko succumbed, puffing his cheeks as well. He wanted to cry, as things are just getting worse as the day progresses.

"How about, you two just go somewhere on the week-end? Come on, your father and I used to do that. It's fun."

"You two are different, Mom."

"Hoh?" she burst with laughter. "As I said, if you ever heard how we met each other, you'd probably throw a tantrum. Or you try to kill Kise-kun's father."

Kuroko didn't question it. After what his mother just proposed, he realized that maybe, they're losing their sanity. With that, he then went into his room.

_xxxx_

"I'm home!" Kise greeted. He then went into the living room to physically greet his parents with a hug.

"You're here earlier than usual, did something happen?" Ryouhei asked.

"Well, kinda. I think." Kise replied with a sigh as he sat down in the single sofa.

"What happened?" Ritsuko asked.

"Well…" and thus, Kise told his parents about how he and Kuroko had beaten the second stringers which prompted their promotion to the first string. He also told them about how he feels about Kuroko and that the boy got him to confess. He even added in what happen in the locker room today.

"I see." Ritsuko said. "Are you really sure that you love this boy? It would have better if he were a girl though."

"Yes!" he answered swiftly and full of confidence. "It's so much to the point that I want him to be mine and mine only! It's infuriating."

"Wow, already at the possessive stage. Such a frightening development." Ryouhei nodded in shock. "So who's the lucky person? You do have a picture right?"

Kise fished out his phone and searched for a picture. When he found the perfect one, he showed it to them and immediately shrieks were flying all over.

"He's adorable!" Ritsuko cried out. "I want to pinch those cheeks!"

"He's cute! Wait, are you sure this isn't actually a girl?" his father said. _He looks like Asami-chan though with that hair and eyes._ He thought.

"We don't live in a genderbend manga, Papacchi."

"What's his name?" his mother then asked. She was quite eager to know.

"Kuroko Tetsuya."

There was a pause. Ritsuko then covered her lips and started chuckling, while Ryouhei stood up furious.

"Hell no." he said. He was right. "Find someone else to love."

"Papacchi…? What?" Kise was close to tears.

"Ryouhecchi." Ritsuko started. "Don't do that to Ryoutacchi. Does he look like he's capable of stealing yakisoba bread?"

"Well, no," his father seemed to have calmed down. But, then, he started up again. "It's those types who are perfectly capable! Hikaru didn't look like he could, but he did!"

"Then talk to your son. I'm sure he wants to know why you are so against him. I don't want to see another broken-hearted male." With that, she got up and disappeared further into the house. Kise was left baffled, wondering how yakisoba bread and heart broken males got into all this.

"Papacchi, Kurokocchi is really sweet and gentle you know." Kise started. "Even though he prefers jabbing over arguing, he's really awesome."

"Jabbing, huh. Do you know his father's name?"

"Umm, Hikaru I think."

"Shit." Ryouhei sighed. "To be frank, I'm only upset because your Kuroko-kun is the son of that man who happens to be my best friend as well. But if I see him, I'll murder him on the spot."

"I don't get that. Aren't you enemies then?" However, Kise knew that he was glossing over important right now.

"Not quite."

"Then what happened…?"

"We were in our second year of high school, and every Friday, our school's canteen sells this wickedly delicious cheesy yakisoba bread. It was my favourite, Hikaru knows this. But one Friday they were almost sold out. Hikaru back-stabbed me and bought the last yakisoba bread, leaving me to suffer."

"Papacchi…isn't that a bit…?"

"That's why I hate him."

"Over yakisoba bread?! Why are you so petty?! Couldn't you have gotten revenge instead of harbouring this hatred for so many years?"

"Rest assured, of course I got my revenge. But he retaliated and caused us to hate each other even more."

"What? Then your revenge must have been quite severe."

"Of course. I'm Kise Ryouhei after all." He said with pride. "I stole his girlfriend but then he stole mine." He said with not care in the world. "And then again, it's not like I could maintain two beautiful girls at the same time. I wasn't that skilled." he then added. "Wish I was though."

Kise paled. _Is he serious?_ "You guys brought innocent girls in that?! How could you?! And that's a bro-code you do not break!" he paused. "How were you even able to sleep at night?! Do you even have a conscience?!" Kise realized that this rank of bastardry was on the god-level. Literally out of this world.

"Well…"

"And what happened to them? You guys discarded them after, didn't you? After all, you didn't love them."

"That's wrong. We married them."

Kise almost fainted. His father's evaluation has just dropped immensely. "What? You married them?"

"You see, your mother was Hikaru's girlfriend and Kuroko-kun's mother was my girlfriend. But we ended up falling for those girls and got married. If Hikaru hadn't stolen my bread, then Asami would have been your mother."

Kise's mind shattered. Just what kind of twisted reality had he travelled back into?! Over a bread, two boys stole each other's girlfriends and ending up getting married to them later on? And to top that off, if that didn't happen then, there's a possibility that he would have been the light-blue haired, sky-blue eyed one of the Generation of Miracles? His Kurokocchi would have been the blond-haired brown eyed cutie? Even though that's not bad but it's still…Preposterous!

"So, you two married each other's girlfriends?!"

"That's right."

"Papacchi, you are a bastard! A god-level bastard! You stole your best friend's girlfriend just for bread?! And then married her?! Are you sick?! This is a life-long revenge!" he then breathed heavily after his rant. "What kind of example are you setting for me?!"

"That was back in the day, Ryou. I'm a changed man." But then he got serious. "Food grudges are something that should not be trifled with. Be careful. Kuroko-kun could back-stab you when you least expect it."

Kise's face was stiff with disgust. This is not a food grudge. This is…this is…Kise couldn't even describe it. But, another part of him was curious. "Just how did you win Mom's heart? I mean, she had her boyfriend, right?"

"Well, every week-end, I'd sneak into her room by using the ladder that was in her yard. And we'd chat, watch movies and such. Sometimes, we'd go out and have fun. And I'd help her with her homework. I am a year older." He said with supreme nonchalance. "Man, those days…" he then smiled as though he was drunk on the memories.

Kise blanched.

It was then that he remembered his parents talking on the day he had travelled back. His father had told his mother that entering through the window would give him ideas and he wouldn't want him to use that method to enter his (future) girlfriend's room. After his mother had countered, Ryouhei had said it's in his genes. Kise shook his head in disbelief. His father, he surmised, was a real bastard back in the day. And probably still is. No wonder Kuroko's father wanted to kill him.

"I see." Kise said as he got up and headed to his room.

"Ryou?"

"I'm going to sleep. My parents' past drama is too much for my young brain."

"Ah, but bring over Kuroko-kun some time! I'd like to meet him! He's quite adorable."

"As long as you stay away from him!"

Kise then wondered if that would have been a good idea. If Kuroko's father finds out that he's the son of the bastard KiseRyouhei, then that may just spark World War III. He then made a mental note, to tell Kuroko that if he's talking about him to his parents, simply address him as 'Ryouta-kun'. That way, a serious crisis can be averted.

But then, he smiled at that imagination. "Being called Ryouta-kun isn't bad at all. I wonder if I can persuade him." He then turned to his father. "Then does that mean I can date him?!"

"As long as he's not like Hikaru, I'm fine with it."

And with that, Kise disappeared into his room, sulking that his precious father was actually someone so terrible.

 

 


	12. Chapter 12

…

…

 

" _Sometimes goodbye is a second chance."_

\- Shinedown " _Second Chance"_

_…_

_…_

 

For once, since he came back, Kise felt alone. Yesterday evening, quite late, he received a message from Kuroko saying that he wouldn't be able to attend their morning practice. He didn't state the reason, and this got Kise worried. After all, Kuroko did say he was going to talk to father about something. He avoided eye-contact at the time. Kuroko _never_ avoids eye-contact when he's speaking.

He then wondered if he'd see him at school, but then again, they have tests today, so Kuroko wouldn't dare miss them. They need those grades to get their transfers to Meiko. Kise paused to think. Currently, he was sitting on the roof in the same spot where they eat lunch.

"Kurokocchi isn't sick is he?" he asked aloud.

"No, I'm not." He heard a voice. With a screech, Kise flew up, grabbing the cloth at his chest.

"Shit, Kurokocchi!" Kuroko raised an eyebrow at that outburst. "Don't scare me!"

"It wasn't intentional." He said as he took a seat. "You need to pay more attention to your surroundings."

"But I didn't even hear when you opened the door! Or walked towards me! Are you weightless or something?!"

Kuroko shrugged his shoulders. He then turned away from Kise. "Are you ready?"

"For what?"

"The tests."

"Of course! This time around, I'll score higher than Akashicchi! I'm even aiming to be the top student in first year!"

"Heeh?" Kuroko gave Kise a smug look. "That's what _I'm_ aiming for."

Kise smirked, "I guess this will be a war between us."

"Indeed it shall."

_xxxx_

The first test that their cohort received was English. When Kise saw the paper, he grinned like a fool. Possessing the knowledge from high school, these basic sentence constructs were nothing to get worked up over. Kise breezed through the paper with absolute ease, grinning as he wrote. The students who were nearby him paled as they saw him scribbling furiously with a grin. Within thirty minutes, Kise was done, and had already proofread his paper. He then placed his head on the desk, trying to sleep. But every time he closed his eyes, he kept imagining what basketball is going to be like after this. Meeting a whole new team, Kuroko as his shadow…Kise couldn't wait for this to be over with.

The second test of the day that they had received was History. This was one of Kuroko's fortes, and similarly to Kise, he had on a smile on his face. In his previous life, he remembered getting an average grade on this test, but this time around, he was determined to get full marks. In addition, he remembered what he learned in Seirin; this test was going to be a piece of cake.

The third test that they received for the day was Geography. They had gotten this after the lunch break. Neither of the boys was a fan of this subject, nevertheless, that didn't mean that they weren't going to be doing their best. When Kise saw the paper, he didn't grin, but there was a miniscule smile. He thought to himself that he could do this, and remembering what he said to Kuroko this morning, there's no way he would lose to his Shadow. He basically declared war on him this morning, and he was going to prove that he can be number one.

"Mou~" He whined. "I should have made a bet with him."

In his classroom, Kuroko was a little bit better off than Kise. Even though he wasn't a fan of Geography, he remembered that he had gotten a good enough grade in his previous life. And, he had remembered most of what came on this test. This time, it was Kuroko who grinned. Remembering that Kise had declared war on him, he was going to be number one.

"Hmm, I should have made a bet with him." Kuroko said as he tapped the pen on his chin. But nonetheless, he scribbled his answers on the sheet paper, and by the time he was done, he felt somewhat accomplished. "I can't wait to see the look on Kise-kun's face when results come out." He smiled to himself.

After their tests, school had ended, but for the sports clubs, they still had practice to attend. Kuroko and Kise were at a loss at what to do, since they had told Matsuoka that they needed a week to condition themselves. Which meant, they can't go to the third string, the second string coach nor the players want them there, and they _don't_ want to meet the first stringers, namely, the Generation of Miracles. They've already met enough, with Aomine being the closest to the two of them. No more is needed.

"Why did you cancel our morning practice?" Kise then asked.

Kuroko shrugged. "I was lazy."

Kise gave him a suspicious look. His Kurokocchi feeling lazy? That's quite inconceivable. He narrowed his eyes at the boy before asking,

"Since when have you ever gotten lazy?" he leaned closer to the boy, as if trying to detect when he'd lie. "Kurokocchi, if you're going to lie at least make it believable. Tell me the truth."

Kuroko froze on the spot. There's no way he could. After that talk with his parents yesterday (especially his mother), he thought he couldn't face Kise. Well, he didn't want to.

"As I said," he started. "I was feeling l―"

"Kurokocchi…"

"I was battling inner demons." It wasn't an outright lie.

Kise then perked up. He understood what he meant about 'inner demons' but didn't ask any further. "Shall I be the hero that vanquishes the abominable demon king?" he then joked.

Kuroko rolled his eyes at him in amusement. "Please do, aren't you the Knight in shining armor?"

Kise smiled. "So what are we going to do for the rest of this week? Practice at the street court?" Kise then asked, changing the subject swiftly. He then gazed up at the sky. The two were sitting on the roof.

"I don't know, maybe." Kuroko said with a shrug.

"How about that? I mean, it'll be a waste to just laze around. My skills will get dull." He was basically whining here.

"Alright fine." Kuroko succumbed. He then got to his feet and Kise followed suit. They left the roof and climbed down the stairs, ending up at the shoe lockers. After they had changed their shoes, they then exited the building, going for the gate. It was then that they heard a voice call out to them. Both boys paled.

"Kise! Kuroko!"

"Aominecchi," Kise let out.

"Still calling me that?" Aomine chuckled. "Anyway, where're you going? Don't you have practice now?"

"Uh, no." Kise answered.

"What? Why?"

"We, umm…" Kise didn't know what to say. He didn't want to reveal that they were transferring; neither did he want to say anything that may lead the boy to do some investigating. Plus, if he should, he'd ask for Momoi's help. That would be a calamity.

"We're going on an errand." Kuroko replied. "There's no need to worry."

Aomine frowned. "Aww, I was looking forward to beating Kise again."

"That's all you care about!?" Kise shouted. "Just you wait, one of these days; I'm going to crush you!"

"I'll be waiting patiently!" Aomine laughed out before jogging off.

Seeing this case, Kuroko had an idea. Well, since, tomorrow was going to be the last of the proficiency tests, for the rest of the week things are going to be back to normal. In addition, the grades would be out by Friday. Kuroko had always wondered just how they could mark the papers so quickly. But, all the better.

"Kise-kun, would you like for us to continue our after school practice in the gym?"

"Huh? Why?"

"Well, Aomine-kun looked quite dejected not too long ago, and plus, I know inside you're itching to play against him."

"Kurokocchi…" Kise said. "…fine." There was an evident smile on his face. With that, the boys then headed off to the street court.

_xxxx_

The next day, they had two tests ― Mathematics and Science. But, for once, neither was _that_ confident. They had math first, which was the problem. Having a math test at eight o'clock in the morning isn't anyone's cup of tea. Kise practically dragged himself to school, similarly Kuroko looked the same. But as usual, they met up on the roof before heading to their classroom.

When it was time for the math test, the moment Kise and Kuroko received their papers, the two couldn't help but smile. Using their knowledge that they have from the future (their past nonetheless), the difficulty level was at max ― medium level. Sure, there were things that would still prove to be an annoyance.

After the time was up, the two boys felt relieved, seeing that all that was left was Science. This was right after the lunch break, which many found irritating. Like the Geography test, after having lunch, many students had felt sleepy, almost as though experiencing ethnic fatigue.

And thus, they went through the remaining classes with ease, leading up to lunch time. When they were released, they went up to the roof and as usual talked about many things and not just basketball. Kuroko was talking a lot more than prior while on the flip side, Kise was being less chatty and listening to Kuroko. It could be that he wanted to absorb as many things about the boy as possible…or it could be that since he's mentally sixteen, he was acting mature for his age and realized that he need to shut up sometimes…or it could just be both.

But either way, before they realized, the time ran off and they had to head down to take their Science test. The paper was fairly easy, to them it was the easiest that they had encountered. It was then that Kuroko wondered if in their previous lives the tests were this easy. He shook his head.

 _It's definitely because I'm sixteen that's why they seem so easy._ He thought to himself.

As for Kise, he was a bundle of joy. He scribbled onto the paper swiftly and once again, the students nearby him felt worried. After all, Kise pays less attention in the class than everyone else, writes the least notes, but still he looks like he's destroying the questions on the paper.

And so, the time came to an end, and the moment the teacher collected the papers, the class erupted into a fit of cheers. Kise simply slumped into his chair looking at them all with a smirk on his face. But then, his eyes caught Akashi, who was, as usual, nothing but a bundle of coolness. Unlike the others, he looked the least affected, as though it was _just_ another test. _Just_ another conquered paper.

Then, after the noise makers exited the room, he then took up his bag and was ready to move out to meet Kuroko. He navigated through the crowded hallways, and avoided anyone who wanted to talk about the tests. He could never understand the logic about discussing answers _after_ the test.

He made his way up onto the roof, where he spotted Kuroko (quite easily) sitting near the bars. He had a basketball bouncing anyway.

"Kurokocchi!" he chirped.

"Kise-kun." He greeted. "I see that you're in a good mood."

"Of course! Those wretched tests are over, and then if all goes well, we'll be off to Meiko!" he seemed to be in bliss. "And then we'll be crushing the miracles! Yes ~ life is good."

"I agree." Kuroko managed to smile.

"But still, I'm kinda itching for practice to be over and done with. I feel like I'm going to go insane from the wait." Since they haven't told Aomine that they would be transferring, Kuroko had suggested that they meet him in the gym like they'd used to.

"That's why I have this." Kuroko said as he passed the ball to Kise who caught it. "Let's go. No one can see us, but, you won't be shooting."

"Well, as long as I can pretend dunk, I'm all game." The blond smirked.

"Let's go, then."

_xxxx_

And so, after their series of mini-matches atop the roof, it was finally time to get changed and go to the gym. Luckily for them, the locker rooms were still open, as most of the boys had already gone home. They had arrived earlier than Aomine, which they were glad for. But after some minutes, he strolled in through the door, with a grin on his face.

Within a heartbeat, Kise and Aomine went into a one-on-one, totally ignoring Kuroko. Not that the boy minded. He was reduced to a simple score-keeper, but at one point, he gave up as Kise didn't score against Aomine. He wondered why the blond was refusing to play a little bit better, as even if he scores a point, Aomine would not get suspicious. Probably.

The minutes flew by quickly, making the boys halt their match. By the time Aomine and Kise stopped, they were drenched with sweat. Kise had a bitter look towards Aomine, while the tanned ace simply laughed it off. And as usual, Kise would shout out that he's going to crush Aomine with the other retorting that he'll be waiting.

They then exited the gym and headed home.

The rest of the week continued like that, after school has ended, Kuroko and Kise stayed on the roof and did what they could with the limited space and lack of nets. After that, they'd get changed and enter the gym while waiting on Aomine. And with what seemed to be customary these days, Kise and Aomine would get into a very heated one-on-one. Kuroko just sat back and watched them; it wasn't as though he could match up to either of them. Now, it was to become a two-on-two…

On Thursday, Aomine wasn't able to make it as they had a match in the leagues to play. Since it was the Summer Championships, this was expected. But, the boys made use of the gym to their hearts content, all the while their adrenaline rushed to their heads, sometimes causing them to make irrational decisions (even if it's out of fun). There was one instance where after Kuroko had used his vanishing drive on Kise, he was quite near the net, but due to him being so excited, he attempted to dunk, which (sadly) caused his face to crash into the net. He fell to the court, but luckily Kise was swift enough to catch him. However, the two boys still ended up on the floor as Kise was laughing his ass off, so he hadn't his maximum strength to stand with the boy sturdily.

Another time, Kise was dribbling towards Kuroko, and somehow, when he managed to get around Kuroko (which these days his defense has gone up), he made a shot using one of (future) Aomine's formless shots. It was somewhat crazy, as the boy was hardly even looking at the net. He was having so much fun that he was only looking on Kuroko and the ball.

And, this was the madness that continued for the rest of the evening until the janitor came to lock up.

On Friday, the boys had expected everything to proceed normally. Instead, they created a ruckus in the entire first year cohort. The grades were posted for the proficiency tests on the notice board and all the first years (the second and third years had to come to the first year block if they wanted to see) could view it. There at the top, were three names in alphabetical order that held the number one spot.

Akashi Seijuurou.

Kise Ryouta.

Kuroko Tetsuya.

Before Kise could even see it, his fangirls attacked him, fawning over him and squealing all the while muttering incoherent sentences. Some of the boys (well, the ones who weren't his friends) glared at him with such hostility, the blond had to wonder what he did or didn't do. It was upon sighting the placements that he realized. Immediately, he scanned the crowd for his Kurokocchi, wanting to jump for joy with the boy. But then again, he realized that Kuroko wouldn't be here since there's a crowd. A noisy one at that.

He then disappeared into the classroom, where he sat in absolute bliss. "Meiko, here we come ~" he hummed to himself. "The end of Teikou's Era is nigh." He then chuckled darkly.

After that, the school day progressed started to progress normally except for another instance where in English class they had to pair up. Before anyone could even think about asking Kise, one boy already announced that Kise would have been his partner. Kise blanched when it happened. It was none other than Akashi Seijuurou.

He started to sweat bullets, as he didn't want to make any slip-ups.

"Kise-kun, right?"

"Ah, yes." He managed to utter out.

"Congratulations on achieving first place. I've never experienced sharing first place before, let alone with two other people."

"Ah, me neither." He said. It wasn't lie. If it wasn't basketball, Kise had never gotten first place. He then calmed down a little to ask him, "Why is it that you've chosen me as your partner?"

"Because Aomine-kun talks a lot about you and this Kuroko person."

"Is that so?" he tried his best to keep a calm face.

"Yes, and how fortunate it is that it's the same boy who I thought had potential."

"Indeed." Kise felt stifled, but the worst part was that he couldn't tell where this conversation was going. "So, what do you want from me, exactly?"

Akashi's eyes then narrowed at the boy. "In addition to Aomine-kun talking about you, I've been hearing some rumors flying about."

"Rumors? What could that possibly be?" he said with sarcasm. But inwardly, he was fretting that it was about the incident with the second stringers.

"About two third stringers, who had managed to beat a team of second stringers." He then leaned forward to the desk. "You're in the third string, do you know anything about it?"

Kise nearly fainted. This was turning into a disaster. "No. Don't you know their names or something?"

"No, I don't. As a matter of fact, no one in the first string knows really what happened. We tried to ask the second stringers but when we were caught, Coach Takeda stopped us and said that we'll know soon enough."

"Then…"

"I had wanted to assess their abilities, to see if at least one of them could become a sixth man."

Kise jumped hearing that. "Sixth man? What's that?"

"Someone who could change the flow of the game whenever he's subbed in. Frankly, even though we are winning, our current team's strategies are too mundane."

"Oh." _Sorry, but you aren't getting Kurokocchi this time around._ "I hope you'll find your sixth man."

"I hope to see you in the first string one of these days."

"When I improve some more. Didn't Aominecchi tell you that I couldn't dribble?"

"Pfft!" Akashi chuckled. "Aominecchi? That's a most amusing name for him."

But looking at Akashi now, Kise prayed that he and Kuroko will make it in time. Seeing the miracles like this warms his heart, but when he remembered the monsters that they (himself) included became, a wave of sadness overcame him. But then again, it all depends on Meiko's team. According to Kuroko, they aren't that dangerous, which means, they have work to do.

"Ah, yeah, it's a name tick I have."

"Oh really?"

"Yes." Kise was dying for this class to be over and done with. Talking with Akashi was nerve wracking. He then glanced at the clock, and saw that there was roughly forty-five minutes left.

 _What did I do to deserve this?! Kurokocchi, save me!_ He inwardly screamed.

_xxxx_

Lunch time came around, and Kise looked like a walking dead. When Kuroko saw him, he flinched, wondering just what had the blond been through this morning. At first, he didn't ask anything, instead, he simply watched him. But after minutes of unending silence, and gloom, he addressed the blond,

"Kise-kun, what happened to you?"

"Why is that I'm the one who's having the most run-ins with the miracles?"

"I don't know."

"Akashi chose me as his partner in English class today. And he asked me if I knew about the incident with the team of second stringers. Not only that, Aominecchi has been talking about us to the others." Kise sighed. "I thought I was going to die. I was so sure that I might end up slipping and reveal something that I was constantly on edge."

"Look on the bright side, Kise-kun," Kuroko tried to soothe. "It's over now. And we'll be transferring to Meiko. You won't see them again if it's not on a basketball court."

"Yeah, you're right."

And so, the rest of the school day flew by, Kise trying his best to avoid Akashi. He was glad that his seat was all the way at the front of the class while his was in the third row close to the back. He didn't pay attention any at all this time, he was too exhausted from earlier and the thought that he's going to leave really added to it.

When school had ended, the two went to the gym (as always) after their time on the roof. They dribbled around with the ball a little until Aomine came, as seeming almost as a ritual, Kuroko went to the sidelines to sit while Kise and Aomine played a mini-match. This time, Kuroko noticed that the blond played with a little more vigor than before, but still he refused to score a point against the tanned ace.

 _I need to ask him the reason for that later._ He thought.

When the two reached the point where they could go no more, they stopped and took a seat beside Kuroko. Rehydrating themselves, Kise made one last look in Aomine's direction, before letting out a sigh.

"Sigh all you want, Kise." Aomine chuckled. "You can't beat me."

"I can. As the saying goes, Rome wasn't built in a day." Kise countered. "I'm going to beat you, trust me."

"We'll see when that time comes."

Just then, they saw the gym doors open. Kise and Kuroko looked at each other while Aomine somewhat surprised. In fact, the two time travelers expected this event to happen either way.

"So this is where you'd always run off to." Akashi said as he entered. Murasakibara and Midorima were behind him.

"Ah, well yeah. The other gym always has too much guys and well…" he trailed off as he looked at Kuroko and Kise.

"It's nice to see you again, Kise-kun."

"Likewise." He replied. However, that was a blatant lie and Kuroko almost cracked up beside him. It was then that Akashi noticed him.

"Who is he?" the redhead then asked. "Is that the Kuroko person you've always talked about?"

"Ah, yeah."

"I've never seen him before." Midorima said then said.

"He's not in the first string. Neither of them are." Aomine replied.

"Fascinating…" Akashi started. "I've noticed with Kise-kun when I had first met him, but I think you two are capable of reaching higher."

Kise and Kuroko's faces were one identical expression, blank. They didn't care for what Akashi's saying, and since, they were leaving either way. The three other miracles then came closer to them, Aomine rose to his feet to converse since, well, it would make sense as the others can't sit on the sweaty floor in their uniforms.

"That's strange." Akashi said as his eyes landed on Kuroko. "When I look at you, I don't really feel anything at all. In comparison to Aomine-kun and even your fellow Kise-kun, there's nothing come from you."

"Then don't look." Kise said as he shifted towards Kuroko, trying to block him from Akashi's piercing eyes. He was getting quite annoyed.

"I'm sorry for that came across. It's just that he's interesting. And so are you."

Midorima's eyes widened as he looked at Akashi. "I can understand the blond, but…"

Aomine then laughed. "Kise can't even dribble properly! He recently learned!"

"Seriously?" Murasakibara drawled.

"But, if they continue like this, I'm sure that they'll improve. After all, they said that they wanted to make it to second string by September."

The two shot Aomine a look.

"By September? That's quite the ambition." Midorima said. "I mean, you recently learned how to dribble?"

"Don't worry, about us." Kuroko then spoke up as he got to his feet. "It's best if you worry about yourselves. Anything can happen." He then stretched out a hand to Kise which the boy took to use as leverage to get up. And with a bow, Kuroko informed them they had to leave.

The two exited the gym, leaving the miracles behind.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	13. Chapter 13

" _Letting go means to come to the realization_

_that some people are a part of your history but not_

_a part of your destiny."_

\- Steve Maraboli

 

…

…

 

_Kise's POV_

I took up my phone, only to put it back down again. I stared up at the ceiling and made a heavy sigh. My life at Meiko started tomorrow but somehow I don't feel any sadness. Of course I'd miss the friendships that I've forged with the miracles, I'd miss playing basketball with them, but I wasn't all _that_ sad to the point that I'd tear up. After all, I'd be with my Kurokocchi!

I then got up and looked in the mirror, after which I fixed my hair with a headband to get it out of my face. Mah~ maybe I should cut my hair, it'll seriously bring out my eyes more. Pushing that thought aside, I then went and took out my uniform, but I noticed that my closet was empty. Well, that's expected since I had cleared out all the Teikou ones. Come this evening, it would be filled with Meiko's. My eldest sister, Ruiko decided to make them herself, but then again, I'm slightly fretting since she has had a strong obsession for uniform alterations. After all, both my sisters (Ruiko and Reiko) were famous throughout their school lives as the girls who _always_ had altered uniforms. I've seen the pictures and just thinking about makes me shiver.

Coming back to reality, I then head towards the bathroom to get ready for school. As usual, my time spent in the bathroom didn't exceed thirty minutes. I had to brush my teeth, floss, lather and wash my hair and then bathe my skin. And yes, by the time I had emerged, I was sparkling and radiating light like that of a god in mythologies.

I returned to my room and quickly got dressed for school. Kurokocchi and I had already decided that we wouldn't meet this morning. Mou~ and I was really looking forward to our practice.

I headed down the stairs and greeted my mother who was in the kitchen, preparing breakfast. I looked around and noticed that Papacchi wasn't around. Normally he'd be sitting around the table or in the sofa or here flirting with Mom. Please bear in mind that I had rolled my eyes at that last one.

"Mom where's Papacchi?" I then asked. It's really strange that Kise Ryouhei would leave the house at this time on any given day.

"He's still sleeping." She answered.

I sighed a relief. I had a feeling that if he was here, he'd give me a lecture about how important it is to capture and make memories of the place that you hold dear or something like that.

To be honest, Teikou couldn't really be called a place that was special for me. The only person that made it such was _Kurokocchi._ Yes, like everyone else, I had had good memories there, but they didn't really last _that_ long. I mean, in my first year I was jumping from club to club since I kept getting bored. In my second year, that's where my life got spiced up but it still wasn't that long. I joined the basketball club in the middle of my second year anyway.

"Ryoutacchi, are you alright?" my mother's voice took me out of my thoughts. I looked up and saw her coming with plates full of pancakes.

"Yeah, Mom, I'm fine."

"Really?"

Ah man, she knows me too well!

"Just thinking about what basketball is going to be like at Meiko." I said as I smiled thinly at her.

"I'm sure it'll go perfectly fine." She smiled. More like blinded me. Papacchi had always said that I got her smiles. Now I see what he meant. "Eat up. Do you want me to drop you at school?"

"Sure."

And so, my mother and I ate our pancakes without Papacchi since he was busy sleeping like a rock. None of us dared to wake him as that would let loose a monster. I'm not about that life either.

When we were finished, Mom carried me to school before returning home to get ready for work. I glanced at my watch and saw that I was way earlier than I'd usually be, so I decided to walk around the school. You know, get one last look at the place before I never see it again. And somehow, I managed to end up at the first gym. Oh well, since I'm here, might as well I do some reminiscing.

I made my way up to the gym and peered inside. They were doing morning practice and well, it's customary since they were heading off to the Summer Championships or is it the final match in the league? I don't even know. But either way, this is Teikou, and around this time, neither I nor Kurokocchi had joined the string in our previous lives and they still had won.

But looking at them, takes me back.

At first, I was a bit sceptical about it, wondering if I should have joined the club. After all, every sports club that I had been to, I ended up getting bored after a while. Thank God I didn't. But then I ended up seeing Aominecchi fly into a dunk and wondered if I could do that as well. Even though the regimen was rough and stomach turning, I endured and within a heartbeat, I had made it to the first string. Sometime after, I had even made it to the regulars, that is, with the presence of hiccups.

"Tsch!" I ended up saying aloud.

No matter which life I'm in, there's only one person who could tick me off just by being alive. It's none other than that bastard Haizaki Shougo. And yes, he's the hiccup I'm talking about. Our skills were similar, we played the same position but the difference was he was the literal definition of a bad boy and…

Let's not continue on that subject. I'm getting pissed off.

So, I had been saying that I made it to the first string quite fast. It was there that I was introduced to Kurokocchi. At first, and I'm going to be real honest, I didn't think much of him. He couldn't shoot, he couldn't dribble, heck, he couldn't do anything that a normal basketball player could do in his sleep. Yet still, he was on the regulars. I was shocked out of my wits at that revelation. But anyway, due to my curiosity, I began to ask the other guys what is it about him that makes him able to play with them.

Midorimacchi told me to ask Akashicchi. Which I didn't do since back then he gave off a vibe which shouted 'do not question my authority'.

Murasakibaracchi was of no help. I tried asking him in P.E once but he had even forgotten that we were in the same class. _The same class_!

Aominecchi simply said that when it comes down to a match, he's reliable. Talk about vague.

It had just so happened that the second stringers were going to have a practice match against some school, I don't even remember the name. Kurokocchi and I were chosen as insurance to make sure that Teikou wins. Of course, the players used underhanded tricks, pushing and shoving and inflicting injury. It had been rough and the bastards purposely marked me since they saw that I had potential. But when Kurokocchi was subbed on, man, I got an introduction as to what he was really about!

The balls flew into my hands like magic and Kurokocchi just went around and stole the balls and passed them to me, mostly, and the others. And man, good times, good times.

Oh shit, just remembering that made me start to tear up.

But we ended up winning the match, as we should have, and it awakened me to basketball. Ever since then, I've always wanted Kurokocchi to pass to me, and then I heard that he was Aominecchi's shadow. Talk about not having a chance to win him over.

But still, there had been a lot good times with the miracles. I remembered we went to Hawaii at one point, another time, we stopped a bike riding purse snatcher, we went to arcades, the convenience store to eat popsicles. We really had a lot of fun. Midorimacchi and Murasakibaracchi would kill me the most though.

Murasakibaracchi has a habit of walking and eating, and Midorimacchi would always scold about it being 'unsightly'. Those two were classic. Every. Single. Time.

Just then I heard the gym rouse up. I looked inside to see Akashicchi bounce pass the ball to Aominecchi who then weaved around his defender and made a dunk. He wore a huge grin on his face, and it reminded me of the times when we weren't monsters.

It broke my heart to remember what I had become. And how I had hurt Kurokocchi. We had stopped playing basketball as a team, we had stopped loving the sport, we had stopped caring. All that was in our heads was to win and that's it. Because of that, we had even trampled upon on the other schools. We destroyed teams, dreams… _everything._ Even Meiko, what we had done to them in our final year was pretty savage. Damn, just thinking about it makes me want to punch myself in the face.

But this was it. The miracles and I would never be friends again, they were simply apart of my history but it seems that fate chose Kurokocchi to be my destiny. Ah yes, fate and I were now best friends.

Deciding not to dwell on the bitter memories, and not to see Shougo-kun's face, I took one last look inside before moving to the roof. I supposed Kurokocchi has reached by now.

I left the gym and briskly made my way to the shoe-lockers. While I was putting on my shoes, I kept thinking how Kurokocchi must be feeling. I'm basically taking him away from the place where everything began for him. I'm taking him away from Aominecchi…his partnership that is.

Before I knew it, I was at the door leading to the roof. I opened it and saw Kurokocchi standing at the bar looking over. The air about him felt different and I couldn't help but feel even guiltier.

 

...

...

 

" _Goodbye for now so long, I think the_

_hardest part of holding on is letting go."_

\- P.O.D " _Goodbye for now."_

 

_..._

_..._

 

_Kuroko's POV_

Monday.

The last day that we'd be in Teikou. Over the weekend, my and Kise-kun's transfers had been finalized with the grades of our proficiency tests heading off to Meiko. It had been a strangely smooth process and luckily, neither of our parents had run into each other at the school. That would have surely been a disaster.

But, this morning, I had gotten up unbelievably early, finding myself unable to sleep. I wondered if it was due to the fact that after this, I'd never see Teikou again, I'd never sit in one of its classrooms; I won't be wearing its uniform. I knew that I'd miss it, but, it was still all for the best.

I then got up off the bed and opened my closet and stared at the uniforms that hung. There was only one set of my Teikou uniform present as the others had already been tucked away. But beside it, there were my new uniforms. I stared at it in half-excitement and half-sadness, but what surprised me was that my parents got these made rather quickly.

I then headed off to the bathroom to freshen up and this took about thirty minutes. For some reason, I was moving slower than my norm and inwardly, I chuckled. I guess I was subconsciously trying to hold on to Teikou for as long as I could. When I then exited out, I met my father in the hallway who seemed to be able to read my mind.

"You know, if you were going to feel so uncomfortable why did you insist that you transfer?" he asked me.

"Dad, stop reading my mind. You're scaring me." I replied in my usual tone.

"It's my job to." He then chuckled. "I don't like when you're sad Tetsuya. It breaks my heart, you know."

"It's just that it dawned on me that I'll never see that school again. That's all."

Dad laughed. "What do you mean? Chances are that Meiko's team will probably request a practice match from Teikou. You'd never know."

"Dad, don't make such jokes." Kuroko deadpanned. "A team like Meiko would _never_ do such a suicidal act."

"I think you're over-exaggerating."

"I think you're doing a bad job at trying to make me feel better."

"Tetsuya…"

"Dad…"

"Are you two done now?" a voice said from behind me. I turned around and saw my mother. "Hikaru-kun, it's your time to make breakfast."

"Ah, right." I saw my father frowned as he made his way downstairs. I took that as my cue and returned to my room to get dressed. It didn't take as long as it did with the bath but when I was done and looked in the mirror, I felt something rising within my chest. This was actually the last time that I'd be in this uniform.

Shaking my head, I then head downstairs and sat around the table.

After we were done, I left the house to catch the train to school. And as usual, everything progressed like the previous days. Within some minutes, I had reached my stop and got off. But, strangely, I didn't see Kise-kun on the train. Well, maybe he's running late or not coming today.

I walked through the gates of Teikou and exhaled. As a student of Teikou this was the last that I'd come through these gates. No matter how hard I tried to not let it bother me, I couldn't help it. This place was where everything began, my happiness, my grief, but most importantly, my basketball career.

I then made my way up to the roof and instead of sitting; I stood at the bars and looked over on the school. This would be the last time I'd ever see a view such as this so I thought that it's best that I absorb as much as I can. Ahh, thinking about it, I should have brought a camera.

But then, after a while, I heard the door behind me open. I turned around and saw Kise-kun but the look on his face made me raise my eyebrow in confusion. He looked sad or maybe it was guilt? Or wait, is it something else? I couldn't tell.

"Kise-kun, what's wrong?" I asked. I was genuinely worried as the blond is someone who emits happiness just like how the sun emits light.

"I'm ―" the blond started but then stopped abruptly.

"You're what?" I asked again, this time I used a slightly demanding tone.

"I'm sorry." I heard him say in a small voice. "It must be hard on you since I've taken you away from all this, from your relationship with Aominecchi especially. I mean, not only would you not be his shadow anymore, you won't even his friend that he'd call 'Tetsu'. I ―"

This was pissing me off. Without waiting for him to finish, I took a huge step and slapped him across his cheek.

"That's the past Kise-kun. I told you this before, didn't I?" I said. "You. Are. My. Light." I said whilst poking his chest with my index. "Yes, I'm going to miss the times that Aomine-kun and I were partners but I'll get over it. I'm already starting to." Well, that was a semi-lie but he didn't need to know that. I'll eventually get over it for real. "Plus, in life, sacrifices _must be made_ in order to achieve one's goal." I added for profound effect. "So if I hear you sprout that nonsense again, not only will I ignite you in the face, I'll make Ogiwara-kun my new light." Heh that too was a lie, since Kise-kun has become quite irreplaceable.

He then chuckled. I found that strange he's not whining about the slap. "Alright." He then said. He must've realized that me making Ogiwara-kun my light was just an empty threat.

"Good." I then said as I smiled faintly.

And so, we continued to chat until the bell rang where we went off to our respective classes.

The school day progressed normally; I hadn't seen Kise-kun until it was lunchtime. As usual, we ate on the school roof and during the course of this, we talked about many things. Well, it was mostly basketball related. Kise-kun was actually eager to see what the Meiko team was like, and I couldn't help but bust with laughter. Him and Ogiwara-kun in the place every day is bound to be disaster.

When the lunch bell rang, we headed off to our other classes, but right before we left, I told the blond something.

"Wait for me at the school gate. I have something I'd like to do."

"Okay." Kise-kun said. The look in his face made me think that he knows what I'm going to do. But that's impossible, right? Kise-kun can't read minds.

With that we then separated.

_...  
_

After school, I walked to the third gym and heard music. The squeaks of the shoes against the floor, the shouts of the different players, the bouncing of the ball and the swish of the net…yes, it was all music to my ears. But hearing those sounds, many memories resurfaced. I could recall my time spent in here in my previous life. At first, I had been quite hopeful since I had been conversing with Ogiwara-kun and made a promise that we'd play against each other. I had practiced fervently, but my efforts were in vain. I had failed to move up the strings twice, and there was even a point where I was advised to quit. That was the first time I had felt despair.

I then chuckled at that. I couldn't believe that back then, I was actually close to giving up until I told Aomine-kun about it. The tanned boy had actually given me an important piece of advice, but at the same time, it was then that I had met Akashi-kun and other miracles sans Kise-kun. It was really in this very gym that my basketball life had changed.

I then left the gym and headed towards the first gym, where most of my memories were. Even though there were terrible memories mixed in as well. I took my merry time walking there, and what was even better, no one noticed me. Not that I even cared. I actually like it this way. When I reached the gym and peered inside, my heart felt like it would burst from joy.

There, I saw the first stringers playing a mini-match with each other but what was more, the smiles on the miracles' faces seemed to be able to light up an entire room. It was quite clear that they were enjoying it, even Midorima-kun, wore a wider smile than the usual. Aomine-kun and Haizaki-kun were, of course, the ones grinning like fools and strangely, Murasakibara-kun, while dribbling the ball was actually laughing. His wasn't an outburst, but nonetheless, it was still laughter. Nijimura-senpai was standing by the sidelines with an annoyed look on his face. Hmm, wonder who could have pissed him off? Most likely it would be Haizaki-kun, after all, in my previous life; he was famous for always seen looking like a zombie being hauled to practice by Nijimura-senpai.

"What did I walk into?" I ended up asking myself. But it was quite refreshing to see them so young and innocent. I then started to remember the days when I had just entered this string, and on that very day, I threw up due to the intense training.

I also remembered my début match. I nearly laughed out, as the moment I had stepped onto the court, I tripped on God knows what and got a nosebleed. But after everything had been sorted out and with advice from Akashi-kun, my passes had helped the team to achieve victory. That was when the Phantom had been born. The opposing team had no idea on how to react to this, and so their downfall was sealed.

I remembered when we were practicing for an upcoming match, and had made a pass to Aomine-kun so perfect that everyone on the court was taken by surprise. Akashi-kun had worn a pleased face that time, Midorima-kun…I can't remember what face he had made since he pushed up his glasses up his nose bridge and turned away.

I then started to remember when Kise-kun just joined. The blond was obviously not satisfied with me being on the regulars since I couldn't do anything that the normal basketballer could. But, it wasn't until that practice match with the second stringers that made the blond see me in a new light. We were the only two first stringers there, but the other team were cheating, using dirty underhanded tricks and tactics and the referee's were on their side too. They tried everything to impede us, but, that was before _I_ was subbed in.

The moment that happened, I made passes to Kise-kun so much that sometimes, it seemed that he was the only one capable. It was just that he always in the right spot to make a shot that's all. Plus, I had passed to the others as well. When we attained victory, I then remembered what the blond had said to me:

" _Kurokocchi! I think I'm really getting into basketball!"_

I rolled my eyes at that memory. "And let me guess, that's when your love for me spawned as well, right?" I mumbled to myself.

But apart from all that, I remembered all the matches that we had together. I even remembered Murasakibara-kun commenting that Aomine-kun and I were infuriatingly in tune with each other. But that brought a frown to my face. I'd never be Aomine-kun's shadow again, but to the other boy, it _never_ happened. He would only remember me as Kuroko Tetsuya, the ghost-like boy who was always practicing with Kise-kun. That's it. He'd never call me 'Tetsu', we'd never exchange fist-bumps during matches…simply because _I_ wouldn't be _there._ I wouldn't be known as Teikou's Phantom Sixth man, hell, Teikou wouldn't even have one, or if Akashi-kun managed to get one, I strongly doubt that he'd be on my calibre.

In the same breath, the awful memories resurfaced as well. They stopped practicing, they stopped believing in teamwork, they stopped loving the sport…they stopped _everything._ It had started with Aomine-kun's growth and due to him becoming less and less interested in basketball, Akashi-kun had proposed a quota scheme. This was the beginning of the creation of monsters.

Soon, the other's abilities had bloomed to a fearful level for their age and sadly, they became out of control. They seemed to be less interested in basketball, if any at all; all they did was play so that Teikou could achieve victory at all times. Now that I think about it, that motto seriously needs to change.

I then moved off from the gym, going to the gate. With a sigh, I then gave one look back to the gym and a faint smile appeared on my face. At least, we'd cross paths in the tournament…but that friendship I'd had with them has now been severed.

"But at least they won't end like they did in the past." I said to myself. I then hastened my pace, heading to meet with the blond who I instructed to wait for me.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading~!


	14. Chapter 14

" _Well, I'll try to do it right this time around…_

… _let's start over."_

Daughtry "It's not Over."

 

…

…

 

The students who entered through the gates were chatting endlessly; some even looked at the lone boy with caution. There Kise was, standing and leaning on the wall outside of the gate. He wore Meiko's summer uniform, albeit with a couple (inconspicuous) alterations. Since it was such, he wore the white shirt (which his sister had stitched the cuffs in place so that he won't have to fold them) and black pants with his green tie. He had on a cap to cover his face and obnoxiously bright hair, if not; he feels that unnecessary attention may be drawn to him. After all, he is a model. There must be a couple girls here who'd recognize his face and create an uproar.

As the students continue to stroll in, he glanced at his watch, hoping that Kuroko will soon arrive. Ever since travelling back in time, the two have become quite accustomed to doing things together. As the clock ticked away, his level of uneasiness rose, it was so much that his hands began to sweat.

"You're early Kise-kun." Kuroko said, startling the blond.

"Kurokocchi!" he said grabbing the fabric at his chest. "Don't scare me so much!"

But instead of having his usual deadpan look, or retorting in a nasty monotone, Kuroko chuckled. And Kise was savouring every second of it.

"What's with the cap?" Kuroko then asked. "Are you changing your image or something?"

"No, it's not like that. I just don't want girls to recognize me." He answered. "Yet." He added with a shrug.

"Then shall we go? I don't want to be late on my first day."

"Right you are."

The two then made their way into the pristine schoolyard. They walked along the way which was lined with flowers and lush grass. Following along the path, they then entered a building and headed towards the shoe lockers. After changing their shoes, they then walked down the walkway to head into another building which was connected by that walkway.

Making it there, they stopped at the receptionist's desk to ask for directions.

"Good morning, we're Kise Ryouta and Kuroko Tetsuya." Kise said. "We've come to see the principal. Could you please show us the way?"

She jumped a little when she noticed Kuroko, but after regaining her composure, she looked at her computer screen, and then said, "After going through that door, a flight of stairs will be on your right. Go up, and then turn left. The principal's office is a white coloured door."

"Thank you." Kuroko said. The two boys then moved off, and following the directions given, within no time, they were standing in front of the principal's office door.

Kise then knocked thrice.

"Enter!"

"He sounds old." Kise said as he gripped the handle.

"He sounds sturdy." Kuroko replied. "That's what you should say."

Sliding the door open, they entered into a neat office, with walls painted in a dark purple colour. To their left, there was a bookshelf which was loaded, and on the other side there was a trophy case, which in comparison Teikou, still had too many rooms for more.

By the window, there was a mahogany desk with a black swivel chair around it. In that chair sat an adult male, neither of the boys could decipher his age, since there were no visible aging signs.

"Good morning." Both boys greeted.

"Ah, Kise-kun and Kuroko-kun," he smiled. "Have a seat. Will you?"

"Hai." They sounded quite stiff.

"Loosen up. I don't bite." He chuckled. "I'm Principal Yamaguchi and welcome to Meiko."

"Thank you for accepting us." Kuroko said.

Yamaguchi then opened one of his drawers and then took out two sheets of paper. "Here are your schedules for the rest of the term. I hope you enjoy your time here."

"Don't worry, Yamaguchi-san, we will." Kise beamed.

"May I ask, what made you want to transfer here?" he leaned forward, and placed his chin on his palm. "Compared to Teikou, this school is inferior, and with your astounding grades…it left me baffled."

"Well, Teikou's motto is 'winning is everything'. That's not healthy for students. Especially for us who play basketball. If we treat everything like a game or think that we _have_ to always be on top, when we get older and is faced with failure in the real world, what's going to happen then?" Kise said. "So instead of killing ourselves there, we just moved here."

Kuroko stared at Kise with shock. Just who was this blond beside him?

"I see." Yamaguchi smiled. "I hope you'll help our basketball prosper as well!"

"Oh, we plan to alright ―" Kise received a jab from Kuroko.

"It will be so, Yamaguchi-san." Kuroko responded. He then leaned over to the blond, "You can't talk to the principal with such informal register."

"Sorry, I got a little excited." He whispered.

The meeting continued smoothly after that.

_xxxx_

"Settle down students." The teacher's voice boomed throughout the classroom. He was young man with black hair and matching eyes. Beside him, Kuroko and Kise stood waiting to do their introductions. Luckily for Kise, the cap hid his face, as in this atmosphere, he felt a bit stifled. The stares from the male population were filled with disappointment.

"We'll be having two new students transferring today. Take care of them." The teacher then turned to the boys. "Introduce yourselves."

"I'm Kuroko Tetsuya, pleased to meet you." As usual, Kuroko's voice was an unenthused monotone.

"Kise Ryouta. Pleased to meet you." His response was rather stiff. But as he said so, his eyes were darting around the classroom, mainly looking at the girls to see if any one of them that recognized his name. So far, it seems negative.

The teacher then indicated to them their seats which they hastily sat in. When they sat, Kise was behind Kuroko which was much to the blond's pleasure. However, he noticed that beside Kuroko there was an empty seat. But, he didn't mind that. He then looked around and it was then that he realized why the boys' were disappointed. There were hardly any girls in this class. Upon hearing that they'll be having two transfers, their hopes went up thinking that they may be girls. It was also then that Kise was glad that he wore the cap; the stares would have ended up being hostile since he was so good-looking.

The teacher then began to mark the register, going through the names quite fast.

"Oda Jouichirou."

"Here."

"Ogi―" he broke off as the door bust open.

"I'm here!" the boy shouted. He then placed his hands on his knees as he panted for air. "I'm…here…" he said once again, breathlessly.

"Barely on time again, Ogiwara." The teacher sighed.

Seeing this boy, the air around Kise and Kuroko changed. Around the latter, he was quite happy to see his childhood friend while with the former; well, Kise just let out an agonized groan.

"By the way, we have two transfers, be nice."

"Two?! Are they girls?!" Ogiwara asked, his brown eyes brimming with hope. "The testosterone level in this class is savagely high."

"Sadly bro, they're both males." Another student responded as he pointed in the direction. Ogiwara's face dropped. But when he refocused, he noticed a mop of light-blue hair.

"Ku-Kuroko!" Ogiwara flew from the front of the classroom and embraced the smaller teen in a tight hug. "Why didn't you tell me that you were transferring!?"

"I wanted to surprise you, Ogiwara-kun." Kuroko replied.

"This is just great! I mean we can ―" he abruptly broke off as he spotted something dark and menacing behind Kuroko. A black aura leaked out of Kise so thick, that the boy let out a shriek and backed off.

"What's wrong Ogiwara-kun?"

"There's an ominous black spirit behind you." He murmured.

"Black spirit?" Kuroko asked. He turned around and saw a normal Kise. "There's nothing there." He then sighed. "I know you dislike Kise-kun, but he isn't a black spirit."

"Kise? Kise is here too?!" Ogiwara couldn't believe it. He grabbed the cap and yanked it off, and gasped in shock.

"Give it back!" Kise grabbed the cap and swiftly fixed it back to the way it was. He then looked around the classroom. There were looks of shock, but it seems as though they hadn't seen his face. "You can't take off my cap in public! You want me to die!?"

"Of course," the brunet smirked. "But still, couldn't you have just remained in Teikou? Not because Kuroko came here, that doesn't mean you should too."

"Sorry but I can't have you monopolize my Kurokocchi."

"Ha! That's rich. Coming from the guy who's already doing it."

The tension between these two rose to such levels that their classmates had to wonder what was going on.

"Alright boys! Sit and be quiet!" the teacher said. "You can argue all you want at lunchtime!" He seemed a bit irritated at them.

"Hai!"

_xxxx_

It was now lunchtime and as Kuroko and Kise packed their bags to leave the classroom, Ogiwara scoot over to Kuroko.

"Eat lunch with me!" he chirped. "I eat with the other boys of the club as well! You'll be able to meet them before practice today!"

"Isn't that great idea." Kise said, his voice laced with sarcasm.

"I guess." Kuroko agreed. He knew that Kise was being sarcastic, so he pretended to not realize. Hearing that answer, Kise slammed his head on the desk.

"That's the spirit! Let's go!"

The brunet then sprang to his feet and grabbed Kuroko by the wrist and bolted through the door. Furious at this blatant kidnapping, Kise gave chase. They ran down the corridor and then down the stairs. Then, after reaching the second level of the stairs, they turned on another corridor. After passing three doors and arriving at the fourth, Ogiwara stopped.

"You've got scary speed." Ogiwara commented, but sad to say, it was actually praise.

"My Kurokocchi was taken from before me. It's only natural." Kise answered. In fact, he could have caught Ogiwara in no time, but he had no idea where the boy was going to eat lunch, so he stayed behind a little.

"What's this?" he laughed. "Your Kurokocchi?" he then turned to Kuroko. "What the hell happened in Teikou?"

"Nothing…much." He answered in his usual monotone. Ogiwara stopped at this. He knew Kuroko didn't talk much, but this expressionless face and monotone voice isn't what he remembered.

"So, is this where you eat?" Kise then asked.

"Ah yes. Welcome to the Meiko basketball clubroom!" He said with a triumphant grin as he slid open the door. Kuroko and Kise were not amused. The room was completely empty. However, seven desk and chairs were already arranged. At the window, there was one desk and chair that faced to the back of the classroom, while the other six were placed facing each other, creating an illusion that there was one long table right there.

"Ogiwara, where is everybody?"

"They'll be here. We're just abnormally early since someone was chasing us." He replied.

"If you hadn't run off, I wouldn't have chased you." Kise countered.

"Fine, fine," Ogiwara surrendered as he walked to sit. Kise and Kuroko followed as well, but before they sat, Kise had a hunch that the other chairs were for the other members, so to avoid any hostility from his soon-to-be teammates, he placed a table and chair beside Ogiwara's for Kuroko and then put his beside Kuroko's.

"You know you could have sat anywhere, right?" Ogiwara said. "The boys don't bite…" he trailed off. "Well, they wouldn't bite _you."_

"That's not reassuring, you know right?" Kise said.

"Don't walk so close to me! Just breathing the same air as you makes me want to vomit!" a voice was heard from the other side of the door.

"Ha! Just hearing your voice makes my skin crawl!" another boy said as he entered through the door with two others. He was the shortest of all three, with milky brown hair done in the medium two-block cut but instead of a straightened fringe, his was curly. He wore black framed glasses as well. His white shirt was unbuttoned to reveal a bright red shirt beneath.

Beside him, there was a blond who he seemed to be arguing with. His hair was as bright as Kise's and was done in the short sides textured top hairstyle. His bright brown eyes were filled with rage. His uniform was normal, albeit with the presence of illegal accessories. Around his neck, he wore a gold chain, and attached to his belt's hoop was a silver chain which extended around to his back pocket.

Behind those two was another boy who was the same height as the blond, and was in the same hairstyle. However, his hair was a glossy black. Looking at him, Kuroko and Kise saw that he and the blond were twins. The front part of his shirt was tucked into his pants while the back was left out. On his left hand he wore a watch, but also had three colourful armbands on.

Seeing these boys, Kuroko and Kise blanched.

They entered, the blond and the brown haired boy still arguing, throwing out insults after insults, while the black haired one seemed totally unaffected.

"What are they arguing about now?" Ogiwara asked the black haired boy.

"Hayato had a terrible morning. That's all." he drawled. "Seeing Motoharu cheered him up."

"I see." Ogiwara then turned to Kuroko and Kise. "Don't worry; those two are always at it. They're actually best friends but they don't want to admit it. These insults are actually the way they communicate."

"Huh?" Kuroko and Kise couldn't help but ask.

"Shit! You're repulsive! Why do I have to see your face especially since I had such a terrible morning, huh? I'll kill you!" the blond one said. But hearing him, Kuroko and Kise raised their eyebrows in confusion. His voice and appearance are severely out of sync. He looks like a delinquent (who happened to be dangerously good-looking) but his voice was actually soft and somewhat gentle. Hearing him dishing out insults like that just doesn't…

"Well, that's not my fault now is it?!" the bespectacled boy said. "I'll be here all day! Get used to it!"

"See," Ogiwara leaned over to Kuroko and Kise. "The blond had said that he's had a bad morning and seeing the other boy is some sort of relief. While the other one is saying that he'll be there for the blond if he needs him."

"WHAT?!" the two shouted.

That's when the 'arguing' stopped.

"Who's he, Ogiwara?" the black haired boy asked. He hadn't seen Kuroko at all.

"The one in the cap is Kise Ryouta and he's Kuroko Tetsuya. New recruits!"

"He…?" then they noticed the light-blue haired boy sitting in between Ogiwara and Kise. They let out a screech as they pushed their chairs backwards.

"He's been here the whole time." Kise said. He knew they were going to ask.

After they recovered themselves, they then introduced themselves.

"I'm Abe Motoharu, I'm a point guard." The bespectacled one said.

"I'm Kaneshiro Masato. I play power forward." The black haired one replied.

"And I," the blond started, he sounded as though he was going to do an elaborate introduction.

"Here it comes." Ogiwara whispered.

"I am Kaneshiro Hayato, the Yatogami of this illustrious team. Are you here to help my domain prosper?"

Kuroko and Kise froze at his statement. Yatogami?

"We'll be joining the team if that's what you're asking." Kise then said. This sort of development was totally unprecedented. They then noticed that the other boys, inclusive of Ogiwara were stifling down their laughter.

"I see. That's good." Hayato then said. "However, it is the King and the Feudal Lord who will ultimately determine your fate." He then chuckled. "They know how to choose the best believers for me anyway."

Kuroko and Kise looked at each other.

What. The. Hell.

"Hello, my cute little kouhais!" the door slid open once again and three more boys entered. It seems that this team loved to enter in threes. The boy at the front was tall, with lush black hair done in a medium hairstyle cut which emphasized his bright green eyes. The one on his left was taller than him with black hair done in a normal short cut. His eyes are black as well. Seeing him, Kise sighed a relief. Apart from Ogiwara, he seems normal. Beside him, this boy had brown hair done in the gentleman hairstyle. He was the shortest of them there.

However, the green eyed boy spotted Kise's cap and flew over. "Are you a recruit?!" his eyes were sparkling, hoping for a 'yes'.

Kise nodded.

"Why, hello there!" he seemed like he wanted to tear up. "I'm Hoshizumi Shou and I'll be your captain and shooting guard. I hope you'll stay." He then turned to the other boys who had entered with him. "He's Mochida Reiji, the centre," he said while pointing to the other black haired boy, "and he's our Feudal Lord, Kikuchi Motoki. You can call him Kikumo." he said referring to the boy with the gentleman hairstyle.

"No!" Kikuchi opposed. "I'm just the manager!"

"Kise Ryouta."

Without warning, Hoshizumi then yanked off the cap to see Kise better. His golden hair fell with grace, and he frantically tried to get back the cap.

"I knew your name sounded familiar." Hoshizumi then said. "My sister has your photobooks at home."

"Ah…" he didn't know what to say. "She isn't here is she?"

But his question would be left unanswered.

"Another blond?!" Hayato screeched. " _I'm_ the only blond of this team! I demand you dye your hair!"

"This is my natural hair colour! I'm not going to dye it to please anyone!" Kise retorted.

"You dare speak to a god with such a tone!?" Hayato said as he grabbed Kise's collar. "I will smite you!"

"Smite me?! What are you talking about you idiot?! And you're ripping my shirt!" Kise broke free of the blond's grip. "I got this hair colour from my beautiful mother! Don't grudge me for my enviable genes!"

"He's an ignorant plebeian; I'll forgive his insolence just this once." Hayato then muttered. "Get him out of my sight, Haru!" he said as he looked at Abe.

"Yato, have you forgotten that your hair is naturally _black_? You're the fake blond here." Abe said with a snicker. "You can't argue with _enviable genes_."

"So-so-so what?!" he said, face red with embarrassment. "Haru! You're supposed to be on my side!"

At this everyone erupted with laughter. Kise then leaned over towards Kuroko and whispered,

"What kind of team is this?"

"They seem quite fun." Kuroko said. They somehow reminded him of Seirin.

"Kurokocchi! Don't go over to that side!"

"Kurokocchi? What?" Kikuchi then asked.

"Hello." Kuroko greeted. "I've been here the whole time."

Shrieks and screeches rang out inside the clubroom; Ogiwara and Kise were cracking up with laughter. It's still quite funny, given that they were speaking to Kise and hadn't even noticed the boy sitting right beside him. It was indeed classic.

"Now that's out of the way, let's eat!" Ogiwara shouted as he opened his bento. The others did so as well, but that was when _it_ started.

While they ate, the boys questioned Kuroko and Kise ferociously. Hoshizumi was the first to go, and the question he asked was the name of the school that they're transferring from. When they heard the answer, the boys' jaws hung in shock; Ogiwara had to be going around closing them. When Hoshizumi came to, he was even gladder as he kept on rambling on about receiving upgrades.

The second question asked was from Abe. He wanted to know their positions played since he's the point guard. But this time, instead of being shocked, they were confused. Kise's answer was clear but when Kuroko had said that he played no position but a shadow to Kise's light, in unison the boys had uttered,

"Huh?"

And thus, it prompted the explanation, which was offered by Kise. It seems that while he was doing so, he sent out a message to Ogiwara, which indicated that Kuroko was his. And yes, tensions rocketed after that.

The third question asked was by Hayato. This time it was directed at Kuroko. He was curious, as to exactly what kind of player Kuroko is.

"How good of a basketball player are you?"

"However good the team is." Was his answer.

Once more, the boys drowned in confusion and yet again, Kise simply explained,

"When it comes onto basketball, it's better to experience Kurokocchi's skills firsthand. Asking about it will definitely leave you confused."

After that, all the basketball related questions were directed at Kise, while other miscellaneous questions were headed to Kuroko.

It was also then that the boys discovered that the oldest of the team was Hoshizumi being a second year. Everyone else was in their first. It was quite the shocker for Kuroko and Kise, but, that meant, he'd have roughly two and a half years left with that so-called 'Yatogami'. He thought Ogiwara would be bad but he seemed to be in a league of his own.

_xxxx_

When lunchtime was up, they returned to their classes, and as such, the school day went on smoothly. By the time they realized, school was over and it was time for basketball practice. And Kuroko actually smiled when he saw that Kise and Ogiwara were on the same page in terms of excitement level.

They reached the locker rooms, met the others and swiftly changed their clothes. Upon entering the gym, Kuroko and Kise wondered if Meiko's gym was abnormally huge or was it because there were so little of them there.

The boys then trudged over to the coach who was sitting on the stage with a clipboard in his hand. He was a fairly young man, seeming to be in his early thirties, with brown hair but his eyes couldn't be seen since he wore dark shades.

"Coach! We have recruits! Recruits!" Kikuchi said in utter joy.

"Ah, they are Kuroko-kun and Kise-kun from Teikou. I already knew."

Silence befell them.

"Anyway," he continued, before this atmosphere got the better of his players. "Where are they? I'd like to see them."

Without even moving, the two boys found themselves at the front of the small group and the coach's eyes seemed to be examining them. He managed to see Kuroko as those behind him kept pointing to his head. They really wouldn't want their only coach to die from a heart attack.

"My name is Ishikawa Satou, nice to meet you."

"I'm Kise Ryouta."

"Kuroko Tetsuya."

"Kise-kun, you look like you're or can be a serious threat…" he said as he held up his arms. "Kuroko-kun…" he trailed off, not knowing what to say. "…you look like you can be snapped in half."

Kuroko paled. Does he really look like that?

"Still, I don't judge players by their looks." He then left off Kise and headed to him. He felt his arms just like he did Kise, and then lifts up his shirt. "You have some muscles there. Get ready you two; you'll be playing a match."

Kise's eyes brightened. "Seriously?!"

The coach nodded. "Hoshi, Abe, you take them on."

"Hai."

"You'll play for five minutes exclusive of a one minute break at two minutes thirty." His face then darkened. "If either team holds back…" he needn't to finish that sentence. The aura that leaked out of his body sent the right message.

"Kurokocchi," Kise said to the smaller teen as they made their way to the court. "I'm been so depraved of basketball that I don't think I'd be able to hold myself back."

Kuroko smiled. "I'll get you the balls. Just do me one thing."

"Name it."

"Just don't play like the miracles. Or if you do, not too much."

Kise grinned. "I see."

They then got into their positions, Kise and Hoshizumi standing at the centre circle for the tip-off. Abe was behind him, more to his left while Kuroko was directly behind Kise.

Kikuchi stood by the sidelines with a notebook in hand, while Ogiwara was the timekeeper. Meanwhile, coach Ishikawa held the ball preparing to throw it upwards. Looking at the boys' faces, he wondered just what kind of play these transfers will bring.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading~!


	15. Chapter 15

" _Don't dwell on what went wrong. Instead, focus on what_

_to do next. Spend your energies on moving_

_forward toward finding the answer._ "

\- Denis Waitley.

 

…

…

 

Coach Ishikawa threw up the ball into the air, the two boys jumped for it. However, Kise barely jumped since the difference in height was obvious, after all, Hoshizumi was older. Naturally, the captain then passed the ball to Abe, after which he made his way to the net. But, instead of trying to stop either of them, Kise dashed towards _their_ net. And sadly, Abe didn't even get time to be shocked by Kise's actions, as Kuroko then stole the ball and sent it flying down court to Kise who swiftly dunked it.

Everyone froze instantly.

"Oi, oi, what-what was that?!" Hayato said in shock.

"Didn't Motoharu just receive the ball from Captain?!" Masato said. "How the hell did it reach down there already!?"

"Hmm…" the coach said as he narrowed his eyes.

They then restarted, Hoshizumi retrieving the ball and then passed it to Abe, who had Kuroko blocking him. He was still a bit shocked by what just happened, but nonetheless, he didn't let it faze him too much. He then looked around to see where Hoshizumi was, and noticed that he was in the paint with Kise. Not bad.

But then, he refocused on his opponent. Kuroko's face was expressionless as usual and staring dead at him. It was quite difficult to deduce what his next move would be or what he could possibly be thinking.

Abe tsk'ed'. Kuroko's poker face was making things unnecessarily annoying.

He then took a step backwards, after which he then used the crossover dribble to get around the light-blue haired teen. But in the moment that he did that, he realized that Kuroko hadn't chased him but instead, he felt the weight of the ball gone from his hands.

A back-tip.

The ball bounced towards Kise and Hoshizumi and the two boys could be seen scrambling for it. However, Kise was faster, and so when he got it, he mouthed to Kuroko—

"Shoot."

—with a playful grin. Kuroko rolled his eyes at him, and when Kise threw the ball to him, he swiftly made his way to the net and when he got into his posture for the phantom shot, he noticed Abe coming behind him. These Meiko boys were fast (somewhat) it seems. So, instead of shooting it, he flung it towards the backboard, the ball flying back to the court.

"Mine!" Hoshizumi and Kise shouted at the same time. They both jumped for it, and sadly, once again, due to Kise being shorter, Hoshizumi caught the ball instead. When he landed, he then used the baseball pass to get the ball to Abe who was already in Kuroko and Kise's half of the court.

The point guard caught the ball with ease and proceeded to make a layup.

"Yeah! Show those newcomers the might of our point guard and captain!" Ogiwara shouted.

"Hmph!" Hayato said as he folded his arms. "That is to be expected, Ogiwara. The Captain is one of my people. But," he then snickered. "I think this would have gone a bit better if it were me out there. After all, the divine combo of me and Haru couldn't be stopped."

Hearing this, Masato, Kikuchi, Ogiwara and even the coach had to stifle down their laughter. No matter how many times they've heard Hayato sprout things such as this, it still never ceases to crack them up.

They then refocused on the match to see Kise with the ball, but one thing stood out. He had on a savage grin on his face. Abe and Hoshizumi had looks of confusion, and that was when they realized something, Kuroko was missing. Then, they saw Kise bounced pass the ball to the left, after which he dashed off with a frightening speed, leaving Abe and Hoshizumi unable to react quickly enough.

When they did come to, they saw the blond jump, seeming as though he was going to dunk. However, he didn't have the ball. But, within a split second of him moving his hand down, the ball appeared and he made his dunk.

At this, jaws dropped.

"What…the…hell?" Ishikawa said out loud due to his shock. Of all his years and playing and teaching basketball, he's never seen such a thing before. "That's some frightening precision!" It was then that it clicked. It was Kuroko. Ishikawa couldn't put his hand on it, but he knew that something amazing was going on. But, it was just about to get even better…or worse in Abe and Hoshizumi's case.

Meanwhile on the court, Kise felt like he was on cloud nine. Receiving Kuroko's passes is a dream come true, and the amount of joy welling inside him is unspeakable. He then made his way to Kuroko with goofy grin on his face.

"That was awesome Kurokocchi!" he shrieked. "I can't get enough of your passes! I can't wait for the tournament to begin!" At this moment, Kise looked like he would start drooling any second now.

Abe and Hoshizumi were at a loss. They were really amazed to the point where they couldn't move.

"Boys! The clock is ticking! Get playing!" Ishikawa urged.

With that, Abe went to retrieve the ball and the moment he made it out of the paint; he saw Kise and his captain heading towards his way. This is actually where things got really heated.

Since they had been depraved of basketball for so long, Kise and Kuroko decided to _play._ And the poor boys of Meiko were their unfortunate victims.

The moment Abe retrieves the ball, due to him being so invisible, Kuroko is always able to steal it from him. And what's worse, Kise was keeping Hoshizumi still until he got the ball, so that the boys couldn't anticipate their plan. Kuroko's stealing spree was savage, as no matter how hard Abe searched for the light-blue haired teen, he was just so hard to find.

Whenever Kise got the ball, he would storm into his opponent's half of the court, and depending on where Hoshizumi manages to block him (that is, _if_ he caught him back), he'd simply bounce the ball into Kuroko's direction and then dash around the captain. Kuroko would, like the perfect shadow that he is; redirect the ball perfectly into Kise's waiting arms and if course, the blond would make the shot.

Another time, if Kuroko gives him the approval, he'd simply weave around Hoshizumi and Abe, and then make his shot. They couldn't block him since he was so agile, and they couldn't catch him since he was so fast. And all throughout this, what does Kuroko do?

Smile at Meiko's misfortune ―er― Kise's beautiful development.

Should Kuroko retrieve the ball and not Kise, he'd test out his dribbling skills on an unsuspecting Abe. Even though they weren't outstanding since he was just learning, he wanted to see how effective they'd be should he use it in a match. There proved to be areas where he needed to fix, but so that the ball doesn't get stolen, he'd use his vanishing drive to get by.

The match had gone on past the five minute limit, even though Ishikawa had blown his whistle when it was half-time and the full time. The boys (subconsciously) ignored him and continued to play.

Abe and Hoshizumi were losing terribly, yes, but they wouldn't go down without a fight. Even though they figured that Kise was the only one scoring, they couldn't find a way to stop him nor Kuroko. One was too fast and the other couldn't be seen.

Such a savage combination.

By the time Abe and Hoshizumi were tiring, it was then that they finally adhered to the coach's whistle. Looking at the faces of everyone at the sidelines, Kuroko and Kise knew what they were thinking.

"You guys…" Ogiwara started. "…just what are you?" He was stunned beyond belief. Even though it was a two-on-two, the way they destroyed his captain and point guard was unbelievable. But even more so, he couldn't believe it was Kuroko playing out there. Although, he could hardly see the boy, those passes were proof of his outstanding skills. But when his eyes looked at Kise, he knew that his skills pale in comparison. The blond was a monster.

"Basketball players?" Kise said with uncertainty.

"That was creepy yet so amazing." Masato said. "How the hell do you disappear, Kuroko?! It's only four people on the court, but we couldn't locate you at all! I can't wait to see what it'll be like with two complete teams!"

"Tsch! I'm furious!" Abe shouted. He then walked over to Kuroko and grabbed him by the collar. "Just so you know, I hate you." He snarled at the boy. Seeing this, Kise got mad. His dark aura was leaking out once again, and all eyes darted towards the blond.

"Now, now Abe. Calm down." Mochida said, trying to soothe the furious boy. He also didn't want to know what would happen if Kise should act up. After all, he looks like he was about to murder Abe.

"I can't! I looked like I couldn't do anything out there! It's infuriating! Why couldn't I find him?! His hair is light-blue! _Light-blue!"_ By this time, he had already released Kuroko. "I trained hard you know! And then, to feel like I've been doing nothing is just so ―"

"Isn't it because you _couldn't?"_ Masato said with a drawl, cutting him off. "I mean, it was pretty obvious. Back to the drawing board we go."

"Shut up!" he barked. The boy then stormed off, exiting the gym. "I'm going to jog, don't follow me!"

"What's his problem?" Kise asked between gritted teeth. He seemed like he was going to snap soon as well. But then he looked to Kuroko who had a sad look on his face. Neither of them had expected this sort of thing at all.

"Forget him, he's just probably pissed that there is someone else who's better at passing than he is." Hayato said. "But, it's as he said, you two are monstrous players. Haru is a brilliant point guard, and well, captain didn't earn his position solely because he's older. But when they played against you, to the ordinary human being, it'll look like they're the new players here. Of course anyone would be pissed. Their times of training seemed to have gone down the drain."

"But that gave him no right to speak to Kurokocchi like that!"

"Please," Hayato rolled his eyes. "Haru is the type to speak his mind. He doesn't care if you'll break down crying in front of him. But he has a kind heart though. He'll come around in ten minutes."

"Ten minutes? That's quite precise." Kise said.

"Of course, I'm going to help my priest." Hayato smirked. He then went to Ishikawa's side and made a gesture towards the door. With a nod from the coach, Hayato disappeared outside, presumably, to go calm down a furious Abe.

"Kise, Kuroko." Ishikawa started. "Before I go any further, let me ask you one thing. What is your goal?" he said. The air suddenly got tense. "I know in Teikou winning is everything, but this is Meiko. I don't want my boys to be brainwashed into thinking that they must always be on the top. But don't get me wrong, I do want to see my team become number one; however, if there's an obstacle that we absolutely cannot overcome currently, we'll go back to the drawing board. So tell me, what is your goal? Why did you join the club?"

"Our goal is quite simple." Kuroko said. "We're going to topple Teikou in the next tournament. And to have fun while playing the sport we love."

"More like crush." Kise murmured. But everyone heard. He knew that all his pent-up frustration from his previous high school life would certainly come out in that match. Haizaki and Aomine, they were in for some torment alright.

"I see." Ishikawa nodded. "Another thing, why is it that only Kise was making the shots?"

"Because I'm a shadow and he's the light." Kuroko answered once again.

"Huh?"

"I'm a passing specialist. Coupled with my natural lack of presence, and misdirection, I can steal the ball freely and pass to him without the opponents knowing what's going on."

"It's beautiful I tell you." Kise added. "However, that doesn't mean Kurokocchi isn't going to pass to anyone else. He'll need time to adjust to everyone's preferences first."

"I see. So, Kuroko, you can't shoot?"

"Yes I can. But I prefer not to unless it is extremely necessary."

Ishikawa then nodded. "Then, you'll be given the third test two weeks from now."

"Third? Where's the second?" Kise asked.

"The question I asked you. The boys here are very passionate about what they're doing. I wanted to know if you have the same feeling towards the sport. After all, I personally think it's downright insulting if you joined but aren't as motivated as they are." He replied.

"That and, I don't want aimless dumbbells in my team. I need to know that you have a clear goal that you want to achieve." Kikuchi added. "I'll kick you out if I find out that's the case."

"That's the King and Feudal Lord for you." Mochida chuckled.

"Anyway, the third test is an external practice match. To be fully accepted as a member of this team, I want to assess your abilities in a real match, not just in a two-on-two. Even though I can already see that you two are serious threats, I need to know how well you'll be able to work with three other guys, how well you'd be able to stop your opponents, and in the process, see if there's anything you need to work on."

"That last part is my job, though." Kikuchi said.

"Ah, right."

"Although, coach," Hayato started, coming in through the door. Abe was behind him, still sulking. "You should have used the divine combination for this. Haru and I would have put them in their place."

"Divine combination? What?"

"You know that Hayato regards himself as the 'Yatogami' right?" Hoshizumi responded.

Kuroko and Kise nodded.

"Abe has been…" he trailed off. He then grinned. "…his best friend since they were babies so to speak. So because of that Abe was given the title 'Shinto Priest'. Thus, the god and his priest make up the divine combo."

Kise wanted to bust with laughter ignoring the shouts of 'We're not best friends!' coming from the two boys.

"Who else has a title?"

"Everyone!" He perked. "You'll get yours soon enough."

Kise blanched, Kuroko looked unaffected.

"And they are…?" Kuroko asked, ignoring how sick Kise looked.

"Well, Mochida is known as the 'Pillar', since he's so tall and strong. Coach is the 'King' since he rules the gym, Masato is the 'bastard' simply because of his warped personality, you already know Kikumo's, Ogiwara is the 'Bundle of Joy'."

"And you, Senpai?" Kise asked with a smirk.

"I'm the Captain. Call me that."

"You can't be serious?" Masato said with a devil smirk. "He's known as Houkibo―" the dark haired teen broke off as Hoshizumi gave him a slap so harsh, he spun before crashing into the floor. Kuroko and Kise were shocked beyond belief. And everyone was totally unfazed by it. Is that a regular occurrence of this club?! Scary!

"It's Houkiboshi." Ishikawa said.

"Shooting Star?" Kise asked. Ishikawa nodded.

"Coach! How could you!?" Hoshizumi wailed.

"The reason for his name is actually quite funny." The man chuckled. "The first reason is that his surname begins with 'Star' (Hoshi) and he's a shooting guard. Hence, 'Shooting Star'. The second reason, is same naming sense, Hoshi and since 'zumi' sounds like 'zoomy' and shooting stars zoom across the night's sky and…" he trailed off trying to stifle down his laughter.

Kise couldn't contain himself. He bust with laughter and when he looked at Kuroko, he saw the boy's shoulders shaking. Oh, he was laughing alright.

"But…what's the reason behind Kikuchi's title?" Kise then asked, finally out of his laughing fit. Kuroko was too busy trying not to laugh out.

"He's a damn good manager." Everyone said in unison.

Kikuchi was nodding fervently. "I take my work quite seriously."

"But shouldn't managers be females though?" Kise asked.

"Now you know who reads too many mangas." Masato said with a snicker.

"No, it's just that back at ―"

"Fifty laps around the field, now!" Kikuchi shouted.

"What? I didn't do anything!"

"One hundred!"

"Eh?"

"Are you questioning my authority?! Six hundred laps! If you don't move this instant, you'll have quadrupled training for the rest of your Meiko life!"

Kise blanched. With a whimpering sound, he slowly moved out of the gym. Ishikawa was extremely amused by this development. Feeling sorry for the blond, the others moved out as well, but they sure as hell won't be doing six hundred laps.

"What did I do Senpai?"

"Kikumo is sensitive. I guess he felt that you were saying that only females should have that position." Hoshizumi responded.

"But I didn't ―"

"Well, Kikumo is hella _sensitive_."

"I really wonder how he's able to withstand Abe though." Mochida muttered.

"In fact, we would have had dozens of female managers if it weren't for King though." Ogiwara said. "There was a time when a ton of females signed up to be the manager but King found out their ulterior motives and drove them out quite heartlessly."

"Which was?" Kuroko asked. Right now, he was jogging in between Ogiwara and Kise.

"They just wanted to get close to the guys of our club. I mean, _look_ at _them._ " He said as he looked back behind him to Masato, Hayato and Abe.

"I don't see anything special." Kise said.

"Because you are one of them!"

"Oh, it's because they're good looking?" Kuroko then asked.

" _Yes!_ Them and the captain and Kikumo! How can you not see that, Kise!?"

"That's the furthest from my mind. If you aren't Kurokocchi, believe me, I won't have an eye out to pick up certain details."

Ogiwara and the others cringed. Somehow, Kuroko found this quite moving. After this, they continued to jog around field, them falling into silence. But, old habits die hard. Subconsciously, Kuroko and Kise fell to into their rhythm that they'd use in their morning jogs and sadly, moved away from the others without even realizing. Steadily, they drift away from the others, and the Meiko boys had to wonder just what were they on.

"Kurokocchi, what are we going to do?" Kise asked.

"About?"

"Them. If the two of us are able to overpower two of them, then imagine when they meet Teikou?"

Kuroko made a sarcastic sound. " _If_ they reach that far. As they are, they won't be able to stand against the top ten schools."

"Shit. Does that mean…?"

"It's as you think Kise-kun. We have work to do."

"Man, add to that, Abe hates your guts out." He then sighed. "I doubt he'd want to accept help from us."

"Then, we leave that up to Kikuchi-kun." Kuroko made a small smile here. "They trust their manager, right? All we have to do is get him on our side. That way, we can tell him our ideas, and when he agrees, he goes to the coach, and bam! The plan would be put into action."

"I never knew you could be such a devil, Kurokocchi."

Kuroko smirked. "You'd be surprised."

Meanwhile, far behind them, the Meiko boys were watching them with newfound awe. However, Hoshizumi couldn't help but grin. With these two additions, not only would they have a fighting chance this time around, they might actually cause some changes within the team. As a matter of fact, he's already seeing the effects. He looked in Abe's direction and knows that the boy isn't going to be staying still about this and then he looked in Ogiwara's direction. He could tell that there was some friction between him and Kise and he couldn't wait to see just how things will play out. Worse, the two play the same position.

"This year is going to be quite interesting." He grinned.

They continued their jog until the coach then called them inside the gym to continue their practice. When they entered, they immediately went into some sit-ups. Everyone was paired up, Hayato and Abe, Masato and Mochida, Hoshizumi and Ogiwara, Kise and Kuroko. They did about six sets of ten, and by the time they were done, the boys were groaning in agony. Kuroko and Kise not so much, since their morning sessions were worse.

After that, they went into push-ups, and this turned into a competition between Ogiwara and Kise. The competitive spirit could be felt throughout the entire gym, and then this prompted Hayato join in as well. According to him, he needed to let these mortals know their place. But, hilariously, Ogiwara lost to Hayato and Kise, but Hayato lost to Kise.

"This cannot be, what are you?" Hayato asked. "Are you a transcendental being or something?" he asked breathlessly.

"Nope, I'm just your average thirteen year old." He grinned. But, even though Kuroko didn't stand out as much as Kise, he still didn't go unnoticed. Kikuchi and Ishikawa noticed that, like Kise, he went more than the other boys, even though he stopped long before Kise could.

_These boys are not bad, at all._ Ishikawa thought to himself with a smile. After some minutes passed, he then blew the whistle.

"All right, that's it for today! Go freshen up!"

"What?! But, but…!" Kise looked frightened.

"Calm down, Kise." Ishikawa said. "It's because we have a practice match tomorrow. I don't want to burn them out today." He then smiled. "I want you to see how awesome my boys are."

"Hai." Kuroko responded. But even though the coach said that they could leave, no one moved.

"I thought I said you could leave." He said with a black aura seeping from his body. "If anyone dares to do extra practice and destroys themselves before the match, you know what will happen right?"

The boys looked away with guilty faces.

" _You know what will happen, right?_ "

"Yes sir."

"Good. Now get out."

"Hai!"

The others dashed out, leaving Kuroko and Kise along with Kikuchi. But, paying the manager no attention, the two transfers went into their training. After all, they didn't need to hide anything. Meiko is the team that they'll be fighting for, for roughly the next two years.

But, as soon as they took up the balls, Kikuchi stopped them.

"Um, guys," he started.

"Yes?" they both answered.

"You still have six hundred laps, Kise." He murmured, "But I need your help."

Kuroko and Kise looked at each other and grinned. Yes, _grinned._ They had a feeling as to where this was going.

"With…?" Kise asked, as he and Kuroko made their way over to him.

"Well, I noticed that you guys are better than the rest of the guys. Could you tell me what did you do in Teikou?" Kikuchi didn't care one bit that he'd just met these boys earlier today, but if it meant the improvement of his team, then he'll do it.

"Actually, Teikou has nothing to do with this." Kuroko said. "It's our own regimen we follow."

"Wait, you make your own regimen?! Can I see it?!" Kikuchi's eyes were glistening.

"Sorry, but we don't have it on us."

The manager deflated. He then perked up once again. "Ah! Can you do me a favour?!"

"Can I get off the six hundred laps?" Kise bargained.

"Yes."

"Then, what is it?"

"Can you make regimens or something for the others?! I would really love if they could come even a bit close to your level by the time the winter championships come around. I have their data here, so I…" before he could finish, Kuroko got up and took (more like snatched) the book from out of his hands. When he opened it, and read some of the contents, he let out an uncharacteristic sound.

"Oh my God!"

Hearing this, Kise then followed suit and looked through the notebook as well. He grinned. He looked to Kuroko and who gave him a nod.

"Of course we will." Kise answered, but the look on both their faces, was making Kikuchi think that he may have just signed a deal with the devil.

"But, could we borrow this? It may take a while since we don't live together."

"We can have a sleepover." Kise suggested, obviously, there was an ulterior motive there which Kuroko would obviously notice.

"I'll think about that sleepover." Kuroko said. He then looked to Kikuchi. "It's as Kise-kun said, it may take a while since the only time we meet is at school. Our morning sessions are exempted."

"I see."

"Don't worry, Kikumocchi," Kise said with a dark smile. "We'll have them up to speed."

Due to the faces of the two boys, Kikuchi ignored the new name given, and started to fret for the others' safety and well-being.

And for Kuroko and Kise, things couldn't have gotten any better. After all, earlier today, Kuroko had wanted to get him on their side, and now…everything was going to what they wished. Well for now at least. Kise had a feeling that once they make those regimens, word will escape that they were the ones who made them. And well, Abe seems to hate Kuroko, Ogiwara and he has some sort rivalry going on and there's the 'Yatogami' who probably has too much pride to accept help from a 'plebeian' as he'd put it.

But nonetheless, Kuroko wasn't fretting, so why should he?

_xxxx_

Aomine grinned as he made his way to the third gym, as usual; he planned on taking on Kise with a one-on-one and beating him again. But, even though he knew that Kise would lose against him, he couldn't help but feel excited. Kise didn't roll over and die, instead, he comes at him with even more vigour than before.

Aomine liked that. He truly did.

Even Kuroko, he's never played against him, but he can tell, the way how he moves with basketball, Aomine knows he loves it just as much as he does, or probably more.

By the time he reached the gym, he noticed that he wasn't hearing any squeaks of the shoes, nor the ball bouncing. _Maybe they're taking a break._ He thought. However, when he opened the door, he saw a strange sight. The gym was empty. It wasn't even as though the two boys had ghost-like qualities… _they aren't here._

Aomine felt like all his energy was sucked out of him.

"Where are they?" he asked himself. Right now, he hadn't even felt the mood to continue practicing. It wasn't like the last time when the third stringers had gotten the day off. There was no such thing this time around.

"Dai-chan!" Momoi said, startling him out of his thoughts. "Why are you staring at the empty gym?"

"Because Kuroko and Kise aren't here." He answered. "They'd always be here, practicing."

"Oh," was all she could manage to utter. Seeing Aomine now, she could tell that he was really disappointed. "Well maybe they'd be here tomorrow."

"I hope so." He sighed.

"Wait, Kise-kun and Kuroko-kun…" she said in deep thought. "Those names sound quite familiar." She murmured. "Ah! I think they're not here anymore."

"What?!"

"Yeah, I asked about the boys who were supposed to join the first string, since they haven't shown up yet and they said that they transferred."

"Wait, Kuroko and Kise were supposed to join the first string?" He asked, and sadly, he glossed over something more important.

"Yes. Were you not listening?" She sighed. "The test that the third stringers were supposed to have on the Tuesday and didn't was caused by the uproar of two third stringers beating a team of second stringers. Or so I've heard. So because of this, Coach Matsuoka decided to move them up to the second string, but Coach Takeda said that he'd move them to the first instead."

"That's impossible. Kise can't dribble properly!"

Momoi shrugged. "Maybe the other boy, Kuroko-kun, is the one who draws out the best of Kise-kun. They did say that it was the two of them."

"Something's not right." Aomine muttered. "Wait until I catch them tomorrow. Which class are they in?"

Momoi sighed heavily. "You really aren't listening! They transferred! Gone from Teikou! Moved!"

"What?" Aomine was floored. "They left? Why? We were supposed to play on the same court together. Wear the same jerseys…why?"

"I don't know."

"And they didn't even say anything."

"I'm pretty sure that it was sudden. Even the coaches were shocked about it."

"Damn." He sighed. "Let's go Satsuki. Wait at the gate until I'm changed."

"Alrighty!"

With that, Aomine went to the locker rooms to change into his uniform. He was somewhat saddened by the fact that the blond and the ghost boy were gone, and even worse, they hadn't said a word to him. Within some minutes, he was ready and headed out to the gate where Momoi was waiting. He wanted to contact them, just once, to know where they've gone and why. But that's impossible, since he doesn't have their contact numbers. But then…

"Hey Satsuki," he said when he reached his pink-haired friend.

"Hmm?"

"Can you get their contacts?"

She smiled. "Don't you know who I am? And plus, they were once students here, so their records shouldn't be completely gone yet right?"

"I wouldn't know."

"Leave it to me, Dai-chan!" she perked. "In exchange, come shopping with me this Saturday!"

Aomine groaned. "Fine."

Thus the two left the school grounds, heading home.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading~!


	16. Chapter 16

" _Teamwork is the beauty of our sport,_

_where we have five acting as one."_

\- Mike Krzyzewski

 

…

…

 

 

In the early morning that was devoid of sunlight, people and vehicular traffic, two young boys could be seen jogging on the street. One had bright blond hair and the other had light-blue hair.

"So, how are we going to tackle the 'Meiko team' problem?" Kise asked.

"Well, for now, I guess we should just make the regimens, give them to Kikuchi-kun and go with the flow from there." Kuroko sighed. "I did not expect this at all. Normally, people don't see me to even try to hate me. Or even if they did, by the time the match is over, they don't care."

"I know," Kise said. "But I remember what Hayato said. Abe hates you because you're better at passing than he is. I guess he's the type to take pride in his passes. You know, like how Midorimacchi loves making threes and finds dunking repulsive." He chuckled at that.

By now, they rounded a corner on the street, continuing their jog further.

"But I can't seem to shake this uncomfortable feeling. I didn't leave Teikou to be hated by my new teammates."

"Well, someone needs to put him in his place then."

"Don't think about doing something Kise-kun."

"Oh no. _I_ wasn't planning to."

"I know you Kise-kun. You can't fool me." Kuroko gave him a look. "After all, Ogiwara-kun called you an 'ominous black spirit'. I can imagine why."

"Geh!" Kise turned his face away in defeat. But a part of him was floating when he heard Kuroko say that. _I know you Kise-kun._ Oh, yes, all that's left is for the right time to strike. Again.

Just then, they spotted the street court where they would usually have their sprints and other short exercises. But this time, since they hadn't a chance to do their regular after school training, so they decided to use this time to catch up. Kuroko went with dribbling, since in that two-on-two, he realized that there were things he still needed to fix. Kise aided in this, drilling the techniques into Kuroko's small body. But both boys knew that the real test is to actually use it against someone (that's not Kise).

After they were done with that, Kise went on to try out ordinary copies. From the future, he'd always been copying ordinary players and he figured that he should refresh his memory with their moves. He actually chuckled, realizing that he's even copied some of his Senpai's moves.

When they were done, they went their separate ways, preparing for school.

_xxxx_

Aomine walked to school with his childhood friend ― Momoi Satsuki as per usual, the two were in quite the good mood. They'd talk about many things, this time, Aomine was quite excited for the Summer Championships. Yes, Teikou had made it past the preliminaries and the league. But apart from that, there was something that he needed to know.

"Hey, Satsuki?" Aomine said.

"Yes, Dai-chan?" she replied with a hum.

"Did you find out about what I'd ask you to?"

"Ah yes!" she perked. She then stopped and rummaged through her school bag. When she found what she was looking for, her emerged with a small piece of paper. "Here it is!"

"Yes!" Aomine chirped. He then snatched the paper away from her and proceeded to dial the number. "Thank you Satsuki!"

"Sure…you have to go shopping with me, remember?"

"Yeah, yeah."

After he said that, the phone picked up and gruff voice answered.

" _Hello."_

"Ah, good morning. May I speak to Kise?"

Momoi stifled down her laughter. She then mouthed to him "Ryouta".

" _Which Kise?"_

"Ah, I mean Kise Ryouta."

" _Oh, he's already left for school. Do you want to leave a message?"_

"Yes, tell him that Aomine Daiki called, and when he gets home, he should call me back promptly. It's an emergency."

" _Ah, you're the famous Aomine-cchi?"_ the man asked in a tone which said that he's heard about him. But then he gasped, realizing what Aomine said. _"Do you want his cell number then?! If it's an emergency then…"_

"That'll be perfect. Thank you." The tanned ace grinned deviously.

And so, Ryouhei gave Aomine Kise's number which was written down by Satsuki on the piece of paper. The call then hung up, Aomine grinning even wider. He then dialled the number and after two rings, it answered.

" _Hello."_ Kise answered flatly.

"Oi, Kise," Aomine started.

" _Aominecchi?!"_ the blond actually screeched in shock.

"You and Kuroko actually have some guts to transfer without telling me! How could you!?"

" _It wasn't like that, Aominecchi! It just happened so suddenly and everything was done in a rush! I'm sorry!"_

"Tsch, but the _two_ of you?"

" _Well, I was the one who was going to transfer, and well, I can't play without Kurokocchi, so since our parents are best friends, my dad convinced Kurokocchi's dad to let him transfer as well. That and, we really don't want to play without each other."_

"Hmm…" Aomine didn't buy that one bit. "By the way, which school did you transfer to?"

" _Meiko."_

"Meiko? What's that?"

" _Such a redundant question Aominecchi. You could have simply said that you've never heard of that school before."_ The blond sighed into the phone.

"Whatever!" He retorted. But then his face softened. "You selfish brats. What am I going to do now? Who am I going to look forward to playing with?"

There was silence on the other end of the phone. _"You'll meet us in the winter tournament, won't you? You can play us there, right?"_

"I don't care about that! And plus, that's only once! I'm talking about every day after school you idiot! I'm talking about fun and intense one-on-ones! I'm talking about playing against each other any amount of time that we want!"

" _Oh…"_

"Oh?! That's all you have to say? Why did you leave in the first place?!"

" _My family moved."_

Aomine froze at that swift answer. He doesn't why, but his gut was telling him that Kise was lying. And has been lying ever since he answered the phone.

"Oi, Kise." He started once again.

" _What is it?"_

"Ah, nothing. Well, make sure your team makes it to the final! I'll be waiting for you there!"

" _Yeah! And I'll kick your ass in front of the entire nation! Be prepared!"_

"Ha! We'll see about that."

Aomine then ended the call, and sighed. Momoi looked at him with confusion on her face. Seeing how he looked, she knew something was amiss.

"Hey Satsuki," he called.

"Hmm?"

"Do you know where Kise lived while he was in Teikou?"

"Yeah, it was on his file."

"Can you give it to me? I want to know if that bastard is lying or not."

She paused. "Why are you going this far?"

"Because we made a promise! For him to just suddenly move, not say a word or even look a bit sad about it, I can't shake the feeling that he's hiding something."

"But he's not your best friend, right? You've only known him for so long."

"I know that! But…"

"You're behaving really creepy."

"I'm not! I mean, I can tell that he loves to play basketball with me even though he always gets beaten! He and Kuroko were actually planning to make it to the second string by September! There's no way he would take that sitting down! I just can't believe that he'd just transfer and without even saying a peep. He didn't even seem sad the last time I saw him."

"Calm down Dai-chan." Momoi soothed. "There must've been a reason. And plus, they aren't obligated to tell you everything. So don't go showing up to his house to scare him to death."

"Fine, fine."

_xxxx_

 

Kise slumped his back against the railing exhaling a breath. That was unexpected. Even Kuroko, who was beside him the entire time, had a look of surprise on his face.

"How did he get my personal number?! _Where_ did he get it?!" Kise yelled in frustration. "Shit! No matter how far I try to get you from that boy, he keeps finding us!" he then muttered below his breath, "What's his deal?"

"Kise-kun, please be reminded that Momoi-san is still alive." Kuroko said in his usual tone. He actually chose to ignore the last sentence about Kise getting him away from Aomine. "But look on the bright side, it's not like he's coming here for school, right?"

"Ye-yeah." He stuttered. He then stared up at the sky, trying to enjoy the refreshing breeze. Just like at Teikou, they've decided to go to the roof until school begins. That, and it really irks Kise to see Ogiwara being all friendly with _his_ Kurokocchi. Oh yes, Kise was possessive and he's realized that fact. He isn't going to change that though. He just won't make himself morph into some over-zealous monster that's similar to those yandere characters he's seen in anime and manga.

Speaking about that, Kuroko hasn't given him in answer. He'd confessed, but Kuroko said nothing apart from he's relieved. But does that mean, _exactly_?Deciding not to press on it, he kept his mouth shut, even though he was itching to know. It felt like his insides were being ripped out, but he still said nothing.

Soon, the bell then rings, signalling the beginning of the day.

 

_xxxx_

 

The school day went on perfectly, minus lunchtime. When that time had come, Ogiwara had once more dragged them to the clubroom, but when they had entered, the temperature seemed to drop a couple degrees. This time, they were the late ones, and that meant Abe was present. The look he gave Kuroko was enough to make the light-blue haired teen feel stifled, so with a quick spin on his heel, he headed back out. Kise, of course, followed suit, and for a while Ogiwara stood there looking in between the room and the fading figures of the two boys.

Hoshizumi was the one who actually indicated to him to go with them, but the look on his face said that he'll deal with Abe. But he didn't need to, Kikuchi had already had that on his list. So with that, Ogiwara left the room, but sadly, was unable to find Kise and Kuroko.

Meanwhile, the two transfers were sitting on the roof, and strangely, Kuroko was his usual self. Even though he's a bit worried at what might happen after if this isn't dealt with, he doesn't let it bother him currently.

But the entire lunchtime, he and Kise talked about how they'd overcome this obstacle and help them improve so that they could take on Teikou. Because, if they can do that, then dealing with the other schools with be less stressful than in their previous lives.

In addition to that, Kise managed to get Kuroko to eat more than the usual, and found that it was actually working. From Teikou he's been doing this, and to see progress with this made Kise feel joyous. This way, his Kurokocchi will be able to get more nutrients which would in turn make him stronger and more dangerous on the court.

Yes, this is progressing beautifully.

After lunch, the boys returned to their classroom, only to be rushed by Ogiwara asking them where they had been. With a simple gesture of pointing to the sky, the brunet got the message. He then began to apologize for Abe's behaviour, Kuroko didn't so much as blink. He reassured him that that's maybe just Abe's way of dealing with transfers. This relieved the brunet somewhat, until Kise told him that they need to deal with him.

With a toothy grin, Ogiwara replied:

"Kikumo is already planning his slaughter, don't worry."

And, just like that, the school day continued on, without hitch.

When they were free to go, the three boys dashed towards the locker rooms, but Kise and Kuroko were urged to go the gym without changing. But, they noticed that today, the boys of the Meiko Middle school basketball club were in high spirits. They were all donned in their light-green t-shirts with their jersey shorts. Today, they were having a practice match.

While the boys were busy warming up, Kise and Kuroko sat on the bench watching with envious and longing eyes. They really wanted to play in a serious match, and now, all they'll do is just sit and watch. So close and yet, so far. But, while Kise was moping, Kuroko actually took out a notebook and turned to the back of it. He then took out a pen and gave the two things to the blond.

"What's this for?"

"We'll be making regimens, right? Let's use this match to assess them. It'll make things easier along with what Kikuchi-kun has already compiled."

Kise grinned.

Just then, the other team had arrived, led to the gym by Kikuchi. They were in their pale-red shirts and grey sweatpants, with their bags slung across their shoulders. They were average height for basketball players, but one thing stood out. They had second and third years on their team unlike Meiko who has _one_ second year.

Ishikawa then greeted the other team's coach, after which Kikuchi led them to the locker rooms. The two coaches then seemed to have a little casual chat before Ishikawa returned to his boys who were warming up.

With a clap of his hands, they gathered around him. Sadly, Kuroko and Kise couldn't hear what they were talking about. But, it didn't seem to matter, after all, their faces indicated that they were fired up and was rearing to go.

A couple minutes after, the other team returned, fully clothed in their jerseys with five still in the pale-red shirts and their jersey shorts.

They then assembled on the court; Kikuchi and Hayato returned to the bench with the others' t-shirts while they stayed on the court. This shocked Kise especially, as Hayato refers to himself as the 'Yatogami', he thought that he'd be a starter. But then again, he doesn't even know which position the boy plays.

"My faithful servants are defending our land. Need not fret, boys." The bleached blond started.

Not caring about what he said, Kise then said, "I thought you were a starter."

"Oh no, he's Hoshizumi-senpai's substitute." Kikuchi answered with a smirk.

"You didn't have to say it like that!" Hayato shouted, his pompous 'godly' attitude was nowhere to be found. "I'm subbed in to ease the pressure on Captain, don't get the wrong idea!"

"I see." Kuroko joined in. It was then that he scribbled something in the open book that was on Kise's lap. The blond then looked down at what he was writing and a small smile appeared on his face. _He really wants to help them._

"Kurokocchi." He called. "When the match starts, focus more on Abe. I think apart from me, you'd end up working with him more." Kuroko nodded. "I'll keep an eye out for Ogiwara in this game. I'm pretty sure that Kikumocchi will watch the others."

"Why only Ogiwara-kun?"

"He's a small forward, so am I. Let's take it step-by-step first. We can't assess all of them all at once. We'll definitely miss something."

"I see someone's gotten smarter."

"Kurokocchi!" he screeched.

In the midst of their little banter, they hadn't noticed that the boys were assembling towards the centre of the court, with the referee standing in between.

"Let the practice match between Meiko Middle school and Narita Middle school begin!" the referee announced.

"Let's play a good game!"

And so, the boys got into their positions, Mochida and their number Five standing at the centre waiting for the tip-off. The referee then blew the whistle, and threw the ball into the air. The two boys jumped for it but Five got to it first being that he was the taller of the two.

He then passed it to Four, who caught it swiftly and proceeded to get his teammates in order. Meiko had already gotten into their defensive positions, and by the time Four made it to the top of the circle, Abe was already blocking him. By the left and right wings were Hoshizumi and Ogiwara, in the paint was Masato and behind him was Mochida.

Due to this formation, Narita was forced to adjust to Meiko's somewhat. They, too had put two people to the left and right wings, and one in the paint. But their number Eight was behind Four closer to the centre circle.

Seeing this set-up, Abe then raised his left hand into the air with his index pointing to the ceiling. Then, he pointed his thumb to the right. Narita were confused by this action, but paid it no mind since no one from Meiko moved.

Just then, Four moved, seeming to get around Abe, but the bespectacled teen was swift enough to block his path. The instant he'd done so, Eight ran past them and as Four gave him the ball. They missed the smile on Abe's face.

When Eight received the ball and made his way towards Meiko's net, Mochida came up and assisted Ogiwara in getting away from his marker. He then dashed towards Eight but when he reached up to the boy, he looked in Abe's direction which the boy then pointed his thumb to his right.

Ogiwara then refocused back to Eight in time, so that he would not escape. Ogiwara stayed mostly on his right side, earning a peeved look from Eight. Seeing that he may get fouled for holding the ball too long, he then attempted to bounce pass the ball to Ten, who was in the paint with Masato.

But, the moment he did so, Abe had left off Four and intercepted it, and then bolting down to Narita's net. The boys gave chase; Four was determined to catch him back. However, by the time Four really caught him back, he paused a little and went into shooting form. This caught the boy by surprise, making him hesitate for a moment.

But, Abe himself knew that it wouldn't go in. Masato on the other hand, who had been running behind Abe, saw what the boy did, and so, he increased his speed as he headed towards the net. When the ball rebounded, Masato jumped along with Five, but sadly for Narita, the power forward from Meiko managed to get it and tipped back into the net.

"Wow," Kise said. "He managed to get the ball even though he's shorter than Narita's centre."

"It's because of his run-up." Kikuchi answered. "When you're shorter than someone, you can still jump higher given that you have gathered enough momentum. That's why he was behind Abe. He knows that Abe sometimes does crazy things, so he has to be on the look-out. Worse if Hayato isn't playing."

"I see."

"But what's with those hand signals?" Kuroko then asked.

"Abe thought them up. When he realized something, he instructs the team where to go. When we're on defense, he points his thumb in a certain direction, indicating to the others where they should block their opponents."

"Oh. That's pretty creative." Kuroko said.

"Yeah."

They then looked back at the match to see Narita on the offense. Once again, Four had the ball dribbling while he instructed his teammates to get into the right positions. He then looked at Meiko's positions, and saw that they were in the same positions as before.

Thinking that what had happened prior would happen again, Four then passed to Ten who was in the paint with Masato. With a pivot of his right leg, he then headed towards the net but when he jumped to make a layup, the ball was knocked to the outside by none other than Masato.

"It's rude to make someone chase after you, don't you think?" he said with a jeering tone. He then quickly dashed off towards their net after which Mochida had caught the ball and passed it to him. "Catch me if you can!" he shouted.

Narita's defense managed to catch him up, with a swift crossover; he weaved through them and managed to dunk the ball.

"See what I mean?" He smirked as he dangled off the rim. "Chasing is not fun, at all."

Narita looked at him with shock. Meiko's boys were trying their best to not burst out laughing. By now, Kise and Kuroko were convinced that everyone on this team has a screw or two loose. Well, everyone except Kikuchi and Mochida. They seem normal, _so far._

"What is he doing?!" Kise asked.

"He's taunting the fools." Hayato said with a chuckle. "The reason is that in doing so, they'll up their defense to the max or get pissed easily which in turn will cause them to make mistakes. When that happens, we just have _fun._ "

Kise was taken aback. Even though they seem like an odd bunch of misfits, they actually know their stuff. And somehow, Kise was intrigued to see how they'll continue playing.

The match continued, Narita restarting. This time, instead of being cautious, they decided to be ferocious in their offense. They dashed towards the Meiko who were in a zone defense. However, seeking revenge, Four passed the ball to Ten who headed directly towards Masato. He stopped dribbling right in front of the boy, and he had the most pissed off expression.

"I'll show you," he snarled at him.

"Give me everything you've got~" He replied in a sing-song voice. He then gave a nod to Hoshizumi who was looking across at him.

"Tsch!" Ten then used the crossover dribble, and shifted to the left causing Masato to shift as well. But then, he pushed the ball back out with the same hand. He faked. With a smirk, he then dashed around Masato, and made a shot. He then sent a triumphant grin in Masato's direction; however, the boy had already started to move off so he didn't see.

Mochida retrieved the ball, and then passed it to Abe. The others then scurried on ahead of him while he lagged back to assess Narita.

And just like what Hayato had said earlier, their defense got even tighter. When the players had all assembled into Narita's court, they were in a man-to-man defense, with hardly any room for movement.

Abe looked absolutely peeved.

If it's one thing that he hates in basketball, it's this repulsive defensive style. In times like these, he wished that whoever thought of this would have died before it could bore fruit. It's just a pain in the ass. When used against his team, that is.

He tried to get around Four, but to no avail. He saw that the others as well were shifting here and there, but there was no way they could get free. What's even worse for Abe, he can't risk a pass for it to be intercepted.

So, he decided to make a gamble.

He bounced the ball into the space between him and Four, Ogiwara and Eight. Then, the two pairs of boys scrambled towards the ball, there was somewhat of confusion there. Abe had stretched for it, but Eight had longer arms. Seeing that he'd never reach it, he titled his head towards his left and strangely Ogiwara drew back and allowed Eight to grab the ball.

When he did, he then brought the ball to his left which Ogiwara knocked from his hands. Abe caught it and then bounced it to Masato's direction, the boy dashing towards it quickly since his defender had begun to move off seeing his teammate with the ball. Then, he chest passed it to Hoshizumi who made his three with ease.

"Hmm, they're not bad." Kise said. "What do you think Kurokocchi?"

"Abe-kun's wrists need to be more flexible." He responded in his usual monotone. "His passes are a bit too mundane."

"Ogiwara has work to do as well. He's fast but not enough. He dribbles too much and ball handling is terrible. I mean, he only dribbles with his right hand. It's like he's asking for it to be stolen!"

"Interesting," Kikuchi said with a smile as scribbled furiously in his notebook. Meanwhile, Hayato looked at Kuroko and Kise with a raised brow.

The match continued on, one thing was sure; both teams were not _too_ aggressive. In Narita's case, they seemed to be matching Meiko's pace, not wanting to burn themselves too quickly. Meiko on the hand, (more like Masato) was doing everything to bring out Narita's best plays. The raven-haired boy taunted Ten until many points in time the boy snaps and destroyed Meiko's defense (not that they were trying that much).

And all through this, Masato smirked, and stole a glance at the bench. Kikuchi gave him a thumbs up. Hoshizumi made his threes anytime he received the ball, and on defense, he was able to shut down Six, who was Narita's shooting guard. Given his height, his reach was quite significant. Eight and Ogiwara often times duked it out for the ball, Five and Mochida did their best to defend their nets, sometimes shots managed to make it in, sometimes rebounds did. And as usual, Four and Abe seemed to be after each other's heads.

And so the first quarter ended with both teams tying on fifteen points.

When Meiko returned to their bench, Kikuchi rose to his feet while the players sat and rehydrated themselves.

"Let's begin; Ten has a tendency to be short-tempered. Whenever Masato manages to get him riled up, he'll do everything himself, and his teammates will clear a path for him. It seems he's their ace." Kikuchi said. "So, here's what you'll do. Masato, piss him off as often as you can, but Mochida and Ogiwara, try to stall him whenever he gets near. Then Hoshizumi-senpai or Masato, whichever, you'll have to get the ball from him through a back-tip or some other surprise. Someone will have to be there for the pick-up."

"Roger!" both boys chirped.

"Ten hasn't shown everything he's got yet, but for now, just keep him check Ogiwara. Beef up your defense."

"Understood."

"Hoshizumi-senpai, you've been doing great with your shots. Abe, you have an idea what you should do, right?"

"Of course, I _have_ been watching that son of a bitch." He responded with a triumphant smirk. "Just leave their point guard to me. I'll put him in his place." He then looked in Kuroko's direction. Kise saw this and his bloodlust skyrocketed. Regardless of what Kuroko says, he's going to give him a piece of his mind.

The referee then blew the whistle, the teams then making their way back to the court. Meiko had an air of triumph about them, while Narita seemed to be out for revenge.

Ishikawa grinned. "They may not be as monstrous Teikou, but trust me, they aren't to be underestimated."

The match restarted with the second quarter, this time Narita was on offense. And instantly, it was turned into a run-gun game. From the moment Four received the ball at throw-in, he immediately passed it to Eight. With swift movements, he then navigated around Meiko's defense, aiming for the net. But as soon as he got around Hoshizumi, Masato when up to block him, while Mochida retreated to the net.

Then with a side-step, Masato moved to the left, leaving Eight bewildered at his actions since he was the ball with the ball. But that was his downfall. In the instant that he froze, Ogiwara had run up and knocked the ball from his hands sending it in Masato's direction. With a dribble, he made it into Narita's court, only to be stopped by Four.

But that was when Hoshizumi went into position, and he received the ball from Masato. The captain made a perfect three. Without hitch, Meiko then got into their defensive positions, preparing for Narita. And like previously, they were in a zone defense. But this time, the setting was different.

At the top of the circle was Hoshizumi and across from him but closer to the centre-line was Masato, by the left wing was Abe, the paint area had Mochida, and to the right wing was Ogiwara.

When Four saw this, he couldn't help but have a sinking feeling. To the ordinary human, it seemed as though there is space to attack, but Narita knew all too well to be extremely cautious. Four was contemplating what he should do. And from what he's seen so far, Meiko is the sort of team who takes advantages of hesitation. The instant one freezes, they'll try to snatch the ball.

He clicked his tongue.

They are far more annoying than he'd previously thought.

When he'd assess their positions, he began to subconsciously dribble harder. After analysing his options, he realized that either choice, the ball has a high chance of getting stolen, or one of his teammates gets trapped. Especially at that wretched baseline area.

Four then tried to get around Hoshizumi, but the captain was steadfast. It was actually difficult to pass the boy, and so with a gamble, he bounced it to Eight who was by the right wing with Ogiwara. Eight tried to evade the brunet, but when he made a break to his left, spotted Mochida coming towards him. He was halted, and in that moment…

"Move!" Four tried to warn.

…Ogiwara knocked the ball from his hands in a back-tip. It bounced outward, and Abe managing to catch it. He then headed towards the Narita's court with a grin on his face. The others caught up with him in time, and then, reaching the top of the circle area, he then passed the ball back to Abe, who passed it to Hoshizumi.

The captain then looked like he was going to make a three so quickly Six jumped to block him. The moment he'd done so, he bounced the ball through his legs and towards Masato. The power forward was free and was able to make a shot.

Narita were not amused.

Rising to his feet, the coach then shouted, "Attack them! Don't be on the defense so much!"

Hearing this, the boys were once again ferocious. They used their speed to set the pace of the game, turning it once more into run and gun. But compared to the first quarter, this time they were a little bit faster. Meiko started to sweat. It was obvious that while Meiko were fast, Narita were faster simple because they had more older boys. With older boys meant longer training times and since everyone on Meiko was a first year except Hoshizumi, this was going to be a challenge.

And so it was.

For the rest of the quarter, Narita showed a superior speed and passing abilities, even though Abe's were nothing to sniff at. A bit similarly to Kuroko, he can pass through the narrowest of spaces, but there was a major flaw. Unlike Kuroko who could twist his wrist and had a somewhat flexible body, Abe didn't. His passes were ordinary and stoppable, and sometimes they were indeed intercepted.

Hoshizumi made his shots brilliantly, even though Six tried his best to stop him. In essence, most of Meiko's points came from the captain, be it threes or just two-pointers.

Ogiwara had a hard time with Eight. And this showed the difference in ability between the two. Eight showed more versatility than Ogiwara in terms of being a small forward, but that by no means meant that Ogiwara was defenceless against him. He managed to make shots sometimes, and weave around the players for penetration.

Mochida protected their net with his life, even though sometimes he'd fail. His defense had actually kept Five still sometimes, preventing the older and taller boy to get rebounds or to assist in their offense when needed. He actually became Meiko's lifesaver, coupled with Hoshizumi sinking his threes.

Masato continued to taunt Ten, to see if there were any more plays he could draw out. If it was one thing, these boys hated to be caught by surprise in the final quarter. They learned that lesson from the preliminaries. But even so, Masato manages to get some shots off Ten, but sadly, Ten was better than him in some aspects.

The game was now in its final minute of the second quarter, Masato had received the ball and was thundering towards Narita's net when Ten came and blocked him. With swift movements, he then got around the boy and then drove for the net, when he felt slipped slightly and stalled.

Seeing this, Abe called out to Ogiwara and Hoshizumi, and using his creative signals, urged them to assist. Even though his ankle started to tinge with pain a bit, he dribbled on the spot until Ogiwara made his way down there. He managed to screen out Ten from behind, allowing the boy to move and pass the ball to Hoshizumi.

As always, when the captain received the ball, he quickly got into position and made a three.

And thus, the second quarter ended with Narita on thirty points while Meiko was trailing, not too far back on twenty-five.

 

_xxxx_

 

"You just had to get injured didn't you?" Kikuchi sighed. The two teams were now sitting on their benches; they had ten minutes before gameplay resumed.

"It wasn't my fault!" Masato said. "Those boys sweat too much!"

"Well then, need not fret, I will be heading out." Hayato said as he took off his shirt, in the same time that Hoshizumi put on his.

"You better go out there and give hell." Hoshizumi said.

"Boys, calm down." Ishikawa said. "We haven't lost this match. As you can see, we're only behind by five points." He then turned to Kikuchi, "Are you ready?"

"Hai, coach." The brunet said as he took off his t-shirt. Seeing this, Kise and Kuroko were stumped. Wasn't he their manager? Is he actually going to play?

Their internal questions were answered when they saw his jersey. He wore number five, which in some cases, would signify the vice-captain. Kise and Kuroko looked at each other before Kuroko asked,

"Kikuchi-kun, you're a player?"

"No, I'm a delicate young and inexperienced male." He then sighed. "And sadly, I'm about to be thrown into the heat of a war. The front lines to be exact." He then turned to Hayato, "Oh great Yatogami, give me your divine blessings so that I may live another day."

"Of course I will," Hayato responded with a grin. "I never allow my servants to go into war without divine protection." He said as he placed a hand on his shoulder.

Kise tuned them out. _Is everybody on this team like this? Their imagination is frightening._

"Ignore him," Hoshizumi said with a laugh. "He's a better power forward than Masato! If he was a player, Masato would have been his substitute!"

"Captain!" Masato wailed. He then turned to Kise and Kuroko. "Do not believe this ignorant mortal! He knows nothing!"

"That's right. I believe you're exaggerating a bit there, Hoshizumi-senpai." Kikuchi said. "Right, Hayato?"

"Ye-yeah," he responded while turning away his face. It was clear that he was in accordance with the captain.

"Even you, Hayato?! My own brother!?"

"Kikumo is actually the vice-captain who never plays unless something happens to Masato." Hoshizumi whispered to the two transfers. "But keep on watching, Kikumo is going to blow you away." He said with a smirk.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading~!


	17. Chapter 17

 

" _If everyone is moving forward together,_

_then success takes care of itself."_

\- Henry Ford

…

…

 

 

When the referee blew the whistle, the boys returned to the court. But Kuroko and Kise couldn't help but to stare at Kikuchi. Kise especially, was itching to see how he'd play as a power forward. Masato wasn't bad when he played even though there was room for improvement, but to think that Kikuchi was a better player than Masato was…it's quite interesting.

The third quarter then commenced, this time it began with a throw-in from Meiko. Hayato threw the ball to Abe before running towards the three-point line. Everyone scrambled to get into place, but during this time, without allowing this defender to get comfortable, Abe then bounced the ball to Kikuchi and tilted his head into the direction of the net. With a smile, he dribbled towards the net. Ten came up to block him, the taller and older boy was somewhat glad that Masato was gone. He was getting underneath his skin too much.

But the moment Ten had done so, Kikuchi made a move to his left, prompting Ten to move as well. But then, without taking his eyes off the Narita player, he passed the ball to Abe, who had come up with his defender behind him. With swift movements, the bespectacled teen then bounced it to Hayato, who with a savage grin made his three.

"You fools dared to injure the younger twin brother of the great Yatogami?!" he said as he straightened when he shot the ball. "Now, feel my divine wrath!"

The ball went through the hoop smoothly.

Meanwhile on the bench, Masato, Hoshizumi and Ishikawa cracked up with laughter. Kise and Kuroko looked pale. But, for Kise, seeing them like this was sort of refreshing. They somewhat reminded him of Kaijou, Hayato similar to Moriyama in some aspects, being that they both sprout hilarity about 'divine beings', the difference is that Moriyama talks about goddesses while Hayato regards himself as a god. Mochida reminds him somewhat of Kobori, being that their quiet and reserved personalities are quite similar. It was then that he realized that he's missed them, just not Kasamatsu's kicks.

But then he looked at Kuroko. He must feel the same way about Seirin and then dawned on him as though a bomb dropped. When they get to third year (even though it's a long way from now), which high school will he choose? Will he go back to Seirin? Or will he come to Kaijou with him? Or, even, will _he_ go to Seirin with Kuroko? Kise didn't know what to do…or rather, what to think. For both of them, they have their attachments to their high school teams, but Kise is and always had been hooked on Kuroko. And now that he'll play with him for their entire time at Meiko, Kise feels that there's no way he'd want to let him go. Or, if push comes to shove, Kuroko goes without him.

"Kise-kun, you're distracted." Kuroko said, taking him out of his thoughts. "What's the matter?"

"I'm just thinking about the future, that's all."

"The future?"

"About how they'll play at the Winter tournament against Teikou."

Kuroko made a face. "You think I'm an idiot? After the match, you better tell me what's wrong with you."

Kise felt his face heat up for some reason. He looked away from the smaller teen, and made a light chuckle. _Am I that readable?_ He then thought.

Just then they heard the buzzer and looked back at the match. Narita had made a three, but Kise and Kuroko didn't care about that. The looks on their faces made Kise shiver a bit; it reminded him of a predator just cornering its prey. Especially Abe and Kikuchi, those two faces looked absolutely _sinister_.

Meiko then restarted, Mochida retrieving the ball and passing it to Abe. But the transfers noticed something. Mochida had basically walked to get the ball. That meant, it was giving time for Narita to get into their defensive positions. Prior to this, they would have quickly snatched the ball and stormed down there already.

When Abe received it, he walked with his dribble while his other teammates were behind him. When they reached the centre-circle, that's when it happened. They charged forwards, Mochida heading towards the net first, since he was the centre. Ogiwara and Hayato dispersed to their favourable positions, Hayato being at the three-point line, Ogiwara being closer to the paint than the left wing. Kikuchi was the closest to Abe, being in the free-throw circle.

Four then closed in on him, so too did Ten. However, Kikuchi went to block Four instead, while Abe went in the direction of Ten. Narita was confused by this sudden change of markers, but yet still they paid it no mind. But little did Narita know that this was just the tip of the iceberg.

When Kikuchi halted in front of Four, he stole a glance in Abe's direction the same time that the boy looked over to him. With a nod from Abe, Kikuchi then used his drive to get around Four, but the boy still tailed him. By then, Abe had bounced the ball in Ogiwara's direction, after which the brunet threw it to Kikuchi.

Weaving through the defense of Five who came to block him, he bounced pass the ball to Hayato who was by the three-point line. With a grin, he jumped to make his shot, but Six jumped for the block as well. Sensing that if he releases the ball it'll be slammed back down, Hayato then shortened his jump and dashed around his defender, storming towards the net.

He navigated around Five who had left off Kikuchi to try and protect his net, but he was no match for Hayato. The moment he'd done so, the bleached blond made a turnaround and slammed the ball through the hoop.

"You mortals are absolutely no match for the Yatogami." He said, oozing with pride. "I may show some mercy, that is, if you bow and say your prayers at my feet."

"Let's go Yatogami-sama! We're on defense!" Kikuchi then shouted. When Hayato is in a good mood, it's best to play along so as to not kill his vibe. The Meiko boys moved off to their half of the court, but Narita were not amused. Especially Ten and Six. Ten thought that Masato was annoying, but Kikuchi was starting to get under his skin as well. In his eyes, Kikuchi was a better player than Masato and he was relieved that he hadn't taunted him like Masato did. In terms of Six, he was irritated at Hayato's pompous attitude. Referring to himself as god and even asking him to pray at his feet for mercy? That's utterly preposterous!

But sadly for Narita, things were just about to get worse.

For the remainder of the third quarter, Meiko had Narita for a loop. The combination of Abe, Kikuchi and Hayato was annoying. As a point guard, Abe was able to assess their situation swiftly and make the correct (but crazy) choices. It was here that Kise and Kuroko saw a different side of the bespectacled teen.

There were instances where Abe had made calls that saved their skins many times, either to prevent the ball from being stolen, or have Ogiwara or Kikuchi end up trapped at the baseline area. Another time, they saw where Abe was somewhat able to do precision passes as well.

He had just gotten the ball from Kikuchi, and was heading deeper into Narita's court despite being the point guard. However, he noticed that Four came to block him still, but to his left in Hayato's direction, there were Six and Eight. However, he then stopped, leaned slightly backwards as he took a step back, and bounced the ball through the narrow space in between the two. When the ball came up off the ground, it was directly in front of the bleached blond; he received it with ease and made his three.

"That was amazing." Kise breathed out. "It's nothing like Kurokocchi's but, it's still amazing." To him, it sort of reminded him of Akashi, even though it's a given that the redhead was better.

"Of course, passing to Hayato is Motoharu's specialty, so to speak." Masato said. "He knows Hayato like the back of his hand, so you can say he's the only one who can give Hayato the ball that he _absolutely_ wants."

"In other words, Abe will put the ball right where Hayato wants it." Hoshizumi said with a chuckle. "That's why when they get into their groove; they're the 'divine combo of the god and his priest'. Their words, not mine."

Back to the match, Ogiwara had also shined as well, even though he was no Kise in terms of versatility, he held his own against Eight quite well. There were times when he used his speed to out-run the older teen but whenever he's blocked, he signals to Mochida for assistance. Thus, the two would form some sort of duo on the court, often times Mochida setting up screens so that Ogiwara could move freely.

Mochida did a good job as well, apart from working with Ogiwara, he protected their net. Still, there were times when he'd lose a rebound, or unable to stop Five should he make a shot, but either way, it wasn't that _much_.

Hayato seemed to be on the top of his game. As a shooting guard, whenever he gets the ball, he lands his shots perfectly and smoothly. At one point in time, Abe felt really evil and decided to pass to Hayato solely. And with his 'Priest' sending him the balls, there's no way the Yatogami would miss any of his shots.

But when Six had realized what was going on, he had tried to block him but that brought out another side of Hayato. He may not be as good as Kikuchi or Masato, but he could _play._ When his shots are going to be blocked, with swift movements, he lands back to the floor and weaves around Six who's usually late to return. As he drives to the net, he would then head for dunk, thanks to Mochida keeping Five at bay. But Kise noticed something about his dribbling.

"His dribbling. Why does it look so…" Kise trailed off to find the right word, but sadly, he didn't. "…different?"

"You don't want to say different, do you?" Masato smirked. He then looked back at his brother on the court. "It's _strange_."

"Ah, that's it!"

"Well, the only thing that Hayato can do by the books is shooting threes and some aspects of passing." Ishikawa joined in. "Everything else is done to accompany his comfort. Things such as dribbling, blocking, and even certain shots are done in the most unorthodox way that you wonder how he pulls it off."

Kise and Kuroko raised an eyebrow.

"How is that…?" Kise said.

"To be honest, if it isn't shooting threes, Hayato doesn't care about the start or even the process," Ishikawa continued, "he only cares about the result. So, the longer you spend time here, the stranger you'll find our 'Yatogami'." He then chuckled.

And once again, in the match, Kikuchi was not to be forgotten. He was a danger on court, and Narita realized that to the point that whenever they're on defense, they chose to double team the boy. He didn't mind this, as with two defenders on him, his teammates are able to move even freer.

By the time the third quarter was done, Meiko was leading Narita by a small margin, 40 – 38.

When the fourth quarter started, it automatically went into a run-gun game. Narita came back with a vengeance, and within two minutes, they overtook Meiko. However, they were not at all flustered. At one point, Ishikawa had called a time-out as he had caught the look on Kikuchi's face.

"Hmm," Kikuchi hummed sounding devious. "Guys, here's what we'll do…" he started with a grin. Kikuchi related his plans and with the assistance of Abe, Kise and Kuroko just had to wonder who these boys were.

When they had returned to the court, Kise then looked to Kuroko.

"I really don't know what to call this team." He started. "Either they are an odd bunch of misfits or scheming bastards."

Kuroko chuckled. It was true, on a normal day; they really seemed pretty odd and quirky but not too long ago, they were quite devious.

The game continued with Meiko using the plans thought up by Kikuchi. With Abe as point guard, his signals were incomprehensible by the opponent, leaving the boys guessing what would happen next. And sadly, their guesses would be quite late.

But throughout the match, this quarter especially, Kise and Kuroko continuously scribbled in the notebook. Just as Kise had said, Kuroko kept his eyes on Abe to locate anything that the boy may need to fix. He's found a few, but he was constantly thinking about how he will fix the problem. Abe proclaimed that he hated him with rage burning in his eyes. And knowing Kikuchi, he's won't say that he's the one who came up with the regimen. He let out a heavy sigh, feeling that this was an obstacle that far surpasses any that he's faced so far.

For Kise, he looked at Ogiwara, but whenever the brunet was not that active on court, his eyes drifted to the others. He looked at Kikuchi sometimes, he even looked at Hayato. He, too, scribbled in the notebook, Hoshizumi and Masato beside them wondering what they could be writing. They often time tried to sneak a look, but the two transfers were secretive.

The match ended, Meiko on sixty-nine points, Narita on sixty-one.

 

_xxxx_

 

"Good work out there, boys." Ishikawa started after Narita had left. It was Hoshizumi who had accompanied them.

"Thank you!" they chorused.

"Alright, I'm giving you thirty minutes to rest. Be back here for practice." Ishikawa said. "We have lots to do."

"Yes Sir!"

The boys (minus Masato who went to the nurse) then left for the locker room, to change into training gear.

"So Kise, Kuroko, we were awesome weren't we?" Hoshizumi said with a smirk.

"Yeah, I guess." Kise replied.

They paused.

"You guess?!" they then screeched.

"How dare you?!" Hayato nearly screamed. "I, the great Yatogami was unstoppable! My threes were perfect; my dunks were far superior to those of the peasants!"

"Guys, it's not like they said we were terrible." Mochida tried to soothe. "I mean ―"

"But to say 'you guess', it's obvious as to what they were saying!" Hayato said.

But in the meantime this was going on; Kuroko was showing Kikuchi all that they had recorded. The manager nodded after hearing what Kuroko explained about Abe; since Kise was busy stirring the others up unwittingly.

"I see." Kikuchi said. "This is beautiful. I can't wait to see what you have planned for the rest of the guys."

Kuroko smiled. "You'll be surprised."

Kikuchi then turned to look at the bantering boys. With a sigh, he then shouted, "We have practice, try to remember that!"

Immediately they stiffened. "I can't believe you're arguing with him. I'm pretty sure that you all can't say that your performance was 'awesome'." They kept silent. "So you know what needs to be done, right?"

"Of course we do, Kikumo." Ogiwara said. "No need to get to angry on us."

"Tsch! Taking their side, now?" Abe said with a hiss. "I can't believe this."

"Five hundred laps, Abe." Kikuchi said with an icy tone.

"What?!"

"A thousand."

"Shit!" Abe then dashed out of the locker room, heading out onto the field.

Kikuchi went to the door, and turned to look at them. "If anyone else has a problem with me agreeing with Kise and Kuroko then you are free to join Abe."

No one moved.

"Good. For the time being, everyone else, you are free to go back to the gym or keep Abe's company. Ogiwara, you remain here. I need to talk to you with Kise."

"Eh?!"

Kikuchi raised an eyebrow.

"I mean, couldn't it wait until after practice?" Ogiwara then asked. He was fretting that Kikuchi may want to dish out hundreds of laps to him as well.

"No, it can't."

"Fine."

"Kise has found problems that you'll need to fix." Kikuchi started. "And as such, today, you'll be learning from him when coach decides to give individual training."

"EEHH?!" the two boys screeched in shock. Kikuchi then opened the door and pointed in the direction of the field. Strangely, they knew what this meant.

"I'll teach him." Kise replied swiftly. It was by luck that he had escaped the six hundred laps, there was no way he'd slip and cause that again.

"Please take care of me." Ogiwara said sweating.

"Good. It's great that you are _so cooperative_." He smirked evilly.

And with a spin on his heel, Kikuchi walked out of the locker room with a hum. Kise and Ogiwara would have glared at each other, but Kikuchi's frightening presence was enough to have them reconcile.

"Is he always that scary?" Kise asked.

"Why do you think he's named Feudal Lord? He gets even worse than that!" Ogiwara shivered. "I will not forget that awful day when ―" he broke off as he covered his mouth. "I may hate you for monopolizing Kuroko, but trust me, no one should be subjected to a fate that is Kikumo. It's worse than death."

"I see." Was all Kise could manage. _What kind of team have we joined?_ This time the blond was fretting.

He and Ogiwara then went back to the gym, by this time, Abe was present, sweating profusely. He really had run the laps but he wasn't finished and sadly, he's managed to do only four. That means he has nine hundred and ninety-six laps left. And Kikuchi was serious about it.

Sad.

"We'll start with our usual." Ishikawa then said. "It's stretches, then push-ups and sit-ups." He said for the sake of Kise and Kuroko.

The boys then divided themselves into pairs, and for someone who played so well in a match, it surprised them that Kikuchi wasn't participating. Sure he was the manager, but where and how does he find the time to keep himself in shape to be able to play like that?

They went through their 'warm-ups', but even so, it was quite funny. Hayato kept sprouting hilarity dubbed 'the adventures of the Yatogami and his priest'. Everyone cracked up at this, but these 'adventures' were the prelim matches for the summer tournament, which sadly, they failed to advance.

"Which is why we'll be doing everything possible to make it to the Winter championship and take the title!" Hoshizumi said with vigor.

"And those Teikou beasts exist?" Masato said as he entered through the door, even though he was limping a bit. "Don't be optimistic, Captain." He drawled.

"Why are you so pessimistic?" Hoshizumi countered.

"I'm not pessimistic!" He shouted back. He then looked to Kise and Kuroko. "I know Teikou has three strings, which were you in?"

"Third." They answered.

"See?! _Third string!_ Imagine what monsters lie in the first, let alone the regulars! So _excuse me_ for believing that we don't stand a chance."

"That, Masato is where you're wrong." Kikuchi spoke up. "And for shouting at Hoshizumi-senpai, you have fifty laps around the field."

"I was just in the heat of the moment Kikumo! Don't do this to me!"

"But anyway," Kikuchi continued totally ignoring the boy. "I believe that we can beat Teikou and anyone else who stands in our way." He then grinned.

"How?!"

"With Kise and Kuroko's help of course. So starting today, Ogiwara and Abe will be practicing with them to learn a few things."

"You must be joking!" Abe then roared. "I'm not practicing with that ghost!"

"Haru…" Hayato said with a worried tone.

"I'm going to finish my nine hundred and ninety-six laps." And with that, he stormed out of the gym, slamming the door behind him. Kuroko then got up, seeming to go after him. But then he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm going to talk some sense into him; he's my priest after all." Hayato grinned. "If you go, maybe it'll add insult to injury."

All through this, Ishikawa did nothing, but instead he watched his boys. In his view, this was something that he couldn't do anything about. As a coach, Abe will more than likely think that he's trying to force him to get along and participate instead of making him come around.

But then, Kise got up and headed through the door as well.

 

_xxxx_

 

Since Abe had already started his jog and had reached half-way across the field, Hayato decided to wait until he came back around this side to talk. However, that moment, Kise exited the gym and spotted the bespectacled teen jogging leisurely. Without wanting to wait like Hayato, Kise then turned to the boy,

"You don't mind if I talk to him first, right?"

"Not really, but as he is, I doubt he'd listen to someone other than me."

"I don't care, as long as he has ears, my words will definitely be heard."

With that, Kise dashed off, leaving Hayato quite surprised at his speed. Abe saw the blond coming towards him and knew that it wasn't Hayato, so he quickly tried to avert by turning back and trying to lose him around a building. But, Kise was fast. Especially that his Kurokocchi was treated as such.

"ABE!" this time, it wasn't a screech but a shout filled with rage. He then dived at the boy, catching him in his back and the two landing on the ground.

"You! What do you want?!"

"I want to talk."

"There's nothing to talk about!"

"Oh really?" Kise then got up but still stood over him. "Why do you hate Kurokocchi so much?"

"Kurokocchi? Is that a nickname or something?"

"Answer me!"

Abe flinched. This tone of voice was chilling. He then turned away his face. "It has nothing to do with you."

Kise sighed. He was a stubborn one. He then sat beside the boy who was still lying on his stomach in the dirt.

"You know," his voice softened here, "the only one who should be saying that they hate another person is Kurokocchi." Abe didn't say anything. "He can't dribble, he can't shoot, as a matter of fact, Kurokocchi can't do shit." At this, Abe looked at him with surprise. He got his attention. "What I'm saying is that because Kurokocchi can't do anything that a normal basketball player can, he resorted to passing. And that's what he specializes in. So, if you're thinking that you hate him because he's better at passing than you, then guess what, Kurokocchi should hate you for being something he can never be. Never in his wildest dreams. He can't be a point guard, he can't shoot threes to save his life, he can't dribble to get the ball moving, he can't block to stop an opponent." Kise then got up to his feet. "So please reconsider. Kurokocchi is willing to teach you how to pass effectively; it's just to make you better."

"Tsch."

"Think about it this way, if you learn from Kurokocchi; imagine the look of absolute joy on your Yatogami's face when you give him that perfect ball that lands right in his hand. I mean, you've seen Kurokocchi's frightening precision, right?"

With that, Kise walked off, just hoping that that talk will knock some sense into that boy. After all, he is their point guard, and well, from what he's seen both in Teikou and Seirin's matches whenever he went to watch, was that apart from the ace, Kuroko worked with the point guard a lot. So, if they managed to get over this, it'll be one step closer to getting better.

Meanwhile, Abe was still in the dirt. Kise's words seem to want to haunt him; he couldn't stop remembering all that the blond had said.

"Motoharu,"

Abe's eyes opened with shock. The voice was none other than Hayato's but the boy with the bleached blond hair would never call him 'Motoharu'. He got up and turned around to face him.

"What's it Yato?"

"I'm just here to tell you that I have a priest who helps me to mow down those evil beings and not a shrine maiden who keeps bitching about something so petty." He said. "So get a hold yourself dumbass!"

"Who're you calling a dumbass!?" Abe shouted back. "And a shrine maiden!? How dare you?! Plus Shrine Maiden's are able to mow down evil too! Stop being sexist!"

"How dare I?" Hayato chuckled ignoring the latter sentence. "I am the Yatogami of this land! I will smite you! Now, be gone dark spirit that has taken over my priest!" When he said that, he hugged Abe tightly. "Just give him a shot, Haru." He then whispered. "He seems totally harmless. He's even Ogiwara's childhood friend. You don't think that that mortal actually has the capabilities to befriend an evil being, now do you?"

Abe let out a chuckle at Hayato's antics. "Fine, you win."

"Okay~ let's race!" he said as he dashed off. "First one inside the gym has to buy me ramen!"

"Hey! No fair!" Abe said as he sped off behind Hayato. But, due to him getting caught up by Hayato's head start, he failed to realize what the boy had said. If he beats him, he'll have to buy Hayato ramen.

When the two boys had really made it back to the gym, Abe reached before Hayato and upon hearing what the blond had said, he was furious. Not only did he have laps to run because of Kikuchi, he had to buy his best friend ramen too?

"I'll get you for this." He snarled. "I'll get you for sure."

"Ha! With my divine abilities, I doubt that you can!" Hayato joked.

They then entered the gym, but noticed that the atmosphere was extremely tense. Ishikawa seemed to be upset and Abe silently prayed that he hadn't off-set his coach. Enraging Kikuchi has always been worse than death, but pissing off the coach meant that hell's doors will open.

"Abe, have you finally calmed down?" he asked.

"Hai, coach." He responded adjusting his glasses.

Ishikawa sighed. "Alright, take a seat and let me tell you something. Something that will become an iron rule in this gym."

The boys were silent.

"I don't want to sound like a dictator, but if you want to win the Winter tournament, you'll have to act like a team. That means, you can't go around hating each other and refuse to learn from one another for improvement." He looked at Abe when he said that. "I'm not saying that you become best friends like Hayato and Abe, but at least, be able to accept each other. _Do I make myself clear?_ "

"Yes Sir!"

"Now, since my vibe has been totally ruined, I'll oversee your individual training."

The boys seem to sparkle upon hearing this.

"Let's go Ogiwara," Kise drawled with a roll of his eyes. But when Kikuchi looked at him, he quickly threw an arm over the brunet's shoulder. "Come on! We're going have tons of fun!"

"Hey, wait for me!" Masato limped over. "It's only ankle that's just strained. I'll see what I can pick up!"

When they had walked off to one part of the gym, Abe grabbed Kuroko by the shoulder and hauled him towards the door. When everyone saw this, they paused, straining their ears to hear.

"First, I'm sorry." Abe said.

"Okay." Kuroko responded in his monotone.

Abe twitched at the lack of facial expression or relief in his voice. He then tried not to make it bother him. "I guess, it'll be…" he trailed off, seeming as though it was hard to say, "…awesome to learn your techniques."

"Okay,"

Abe felt like his fuse was about to explode. "I'm here apologizing and you look like that? Be grateful!"

"Okay," but Kuroko was deliberately did this. He realized that his mischievous side is quite troublesome.

"But, just so you know, I never hated you in the aspect that I'll twist your neck, robbing you of your life."

Kuroko raised his eyebrow.

"I knew that your passes were amazing and well, it felt that I was doing wasn't much. After all I put lots of effort and time into practice."

"I understand."

"But, I hate you as much as I hate Hayato!" he said as he turned away his face. "Now start teaching me!"

"Okay,"

But before Kuroko could actually start, Kikuchi rushed over to them and dragged Kuroko away.

"What did he say?" he asked.

"He apologized but said that he hates me as much as he hates Hayato-kun."

A grin immediately formed on his face. "That's good. Now go back to your practice." Kikuchi _skipped_ back to where he was. Everyone else then attacked the manager asking what happened down there. After all, Abe had an angry look at one point.

"He's in the clear. Abe told him that he hates him as much as he hates Hayato." He grinned.

"Yus!" Hoshizumi cheered.

"Wait, he still hates him and you're cheering?" Kise asked, bewildered.

"Oh no, Motoharu would _never_ hate Hayato. They're best friends. So, if Motoharu said that he hates him like he hates Hayato, then that means, Kuroko can give Hayato a run for his money." Masato smirked. "Talk about interesting."

"So, we're safe? Thank God." Mochida said with a sigh of relief.

"So you bastards, get back to practice!" Kikuchi then roared.

"Yes Sir!" they said as they scattered.

Ishikawa could only chuckle with amusement at their antics. But one thing was for sure; his little rascals plan to drive him up the wall. But, he's prepared for it.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading~!


	18. Chapter 18

" _It always seems impossible until it's done_."

\- Nelson Mandela

 

…

…

 

Once again, a new day begun, and like always ever since they had travelled through time, Kise and Kuroko could be seen jogging on the early morning streets of Tokyo. This time, they hardly spoke a word to each other; for Kuroko, the events of yesterday were still playing in his head. He hadn't anticipated Abe to come around like that, especially after just talking to Kise and Hayato. He was curious as to what his blond has said to the boy, but he didn't ask.

When they had rounded a corner, they had arrived back at the street court where they would always start. They then head over to the bench, to rest their aching legs. After a few minutes, they got back some energy, and thus, Kise then pulled out a notepad from out of his bag. He then handed it to Kuroko, who, wordlessly, skipped through the contents, nodding his head at times.

"Are you sure this won't kill him, Kise-kun?" Kuroko had then asked when he was done reading Ogiwara's regimen.

"Of course not," Kise chuckled. But when he caught the look on Kuroko's face, he sighed. "Maybe a little. But as the saying goes, one has to die first before being reborn, right? Look at us; we killed off ourselves at first, but look at us now."

Kuroko sighed. "I hear you."

Kuroko then skipped some more to see what else Kise had wrote, but it was on the other members sans Abe. While it wasn't much and detailed as he had done with Ogiwara (since he had been watching the brunet only), there was still quite a few things there that made him nod once again.

"Are you sure you want to teach Hayato-kun this?" Kuroko asked. "I mean, I thought you wanted to be unstoppable when you combine ―"

"I can still be." Kise smirked. "I mean, isn't it all up to them how they'll make whatever I teach them into weapons?"

"That's true."

Kuroko then dug his hands into his bag and pulled out a notebook. He then gave it to Kise and the blond wore the most mischievous expression that Kuroko has ever seen (so far at least).

"This is the way that you'll torture Abe, eh? This is quite the killer." he chuckled. "Ah, I can see revenge written all over ―!" he broke off as Kuroko gave him a jab in the side. Kise howled out in agony, reaching onto his knees.

"I'm not like you, Kise-kun." Kuroko said with a smile on his face. "I won't torture anyone under the pretence of creating a regimen."

"Kurokocchi…" he groaned out. "…I think you just burst my spleen."

Kuroko only looked at the writhing blond with his usual deadpan expression. "I won't call the ambulance." He said with a monotone.

Kise's groans only got louder.

 

_xxxx_

 

Kise and Kuroko made their way towards their classroom, but one thing was evident. Kise kept getting weird looks from the students. It was just his third day here and he was attracting attention. He wore a cap ever since he transferred to prevent the female population from attacking him, but looking at what's happening now, it seems as though it's repelling _both_ the male and females. But still, he couldn't understand it. There were guys who wore hoodies and the like but no one looked at them like how he was being looked at.

They then made their way to Kikuchi's classroom, which was just next door theirs. Kuroko had entered first, and spotted the boy sitting around his desk, seeming to be doodling. The two then made their way to him, Kise grabbing the attention of everyone there. Whispers rose, and Kise just wanted this to be over and done with.

"Kikuchi-kun," Kuroko greeted first, giving the boy a scare.

"Kuroko, can you not scare me?" he said while gripping his shirt at his chest.

"I came in normally. Just like Kise-kun."

Kikuchi looked at Kise who simply shrugged his shoulders. Pushing that behind him, he then asked, "So, what do you want to tell me?"

Wordlessly, they gave him their notepad and notebook, the boy then skimming through it. But, Kise and Kuroko saw that with each skip that he made, his grin got wider. When he looked through Kise's notepad, he seemed as though he was about to tear up.

"Is this what you have planned for the Winter?"

Kise grinned. "Oh no, this is just until summer break. We'll be having a training camp, won't we?"

Kikuchi couldn't help but smile. With a nod towards the boys, he then dashed out of the classroom, heading towards the staff rooms. Seeing this action, Kise and Kuroko were bewildered at first, but then deduced that maybe he's gone to the coach.

They then retreated into their classroom and took their seats; Kise noticed that even here he was given the 'look'. When he looked at someone, either they have a frightened look on their face, or they swiftly turn away their heads.

"Kurokocchi, do I look scary?" he then asked the smaller teen.

"Of course not. You simply wear a cap that hides your face, what's scary about that?"

"It's just that people are looking at me strange."

"Get over it, we're still in the 'transfer students' phase. Give it a month or so."

"Easy for you to say." Kise then muttered. "People don't look at you the way they do me."

"Because people don't see me." He deadpanned.

"Oh, right. Sorry."

"It's fine."

Just then, Ogiwara came in through the door, happiness radiating from him. He greeted everyone in the classroom, chatting with a group of boys before teasing the few girls that were in their class. After he was done, he then headed over to his seat, where he greeted Kuroko with a warm smile. Of course, this infuriated Kise.

"Yo!" he beamed.

"Good morning," Kuroko greeted. Kise only made a grunt.

"What's troubling him?" Ogiwara asked. When all Kuroko did was shrug, the brunet then threw an arm over Kuroko's shoulder, and said, "Hey Kuroko, want to have a sleep over with me, this Saturday?"

Kise's nostrils flared.

"I'll have to ask my parents."

"Absolutely not!" Kise objected strongly.

"Why not? Do you want to come as well?" Kuroko then asked innocently when he already knew the reason behind Kise's objection.

"He can't! We have so much to catch up on! You have to tell me all that happened in Teikou and how you got so good in basketball and things like that! He doesn't need to be there!" Ogiwara said.

"What?!" Kise said as he rose to his feet. "Can't he tell you that at lunchtime and after school?!"

"Of course not!" Ogiwara said, rising as well. "And there shouldn't be anything wrong with us having a sleep-over!"

"I'll not leave my Kurokocchi alone with you! Never!"

"We're childhood friends! I have most rights than you do! By the way, _your_ Kurokocchi? He isn't anyone's!"

" _You have most the rights_?! Don't be possessive, I'm his Light!"

"Ano…guys," Kuroko called out. But, due to their shouting, they hadn't heard him. And so, their argument continued, spanning mostly over who deserves Kuroko from who doesn't, and all sorts of things. It was quite the heated argument, but no one dared to approach them. Getting sick of their bickering, Kuroko then got up and jabbed them both in their sides. With manly shrieks, the two boys doubled over in agony.

"You two are causing a scene." Kuroko said, however, this time; it was evident that there was some sort of anger present in his voice. "Your classmates are absolutely mortified."

Well, he used a strong word there, shock would be a better word, but he wanted it to sink in. With a sigh, he then sat down, leaving the two boys to crawl into their seats. Whispers then started to fly around, Kuroko not caring one bit. They were mostly about Kise and Ogiwara anyway.

They continued until the teacher arrived, settled them down and began form-time.

 

_xxxx_

 

Kikuchi had arrived in the staff room in what could be considered record time, panting like crazy. With only a nod to the other teachers, he made his way to Ishikawa, who was drinking coffee around his desk.

"Coach!" he called out. After which, he placed his hands on his knees trying to catch his breath.

"Kikuchi?" the man asked. "What are you doing here? At this time?" he said with a glance at his watch.

"You have to see this!" the brunet shouted while he shoved the notes into the coach's face.

"Alright, alright," he took the notes from the boy, which happened to be what Kise wrote. The moment he looked at it, he spit out his coffee in shock. "Who-who-who did this?!" he asked with a stutter.

"Our brilliant transfers." Kikuchi grinned. "I had asked them to make regimens for our team and they agreed."

"How…? Aren't they thirteen? How are they able to create such a thing?"

"They make their own regimen as well." When Kikuchi said this, Ishikawa's eyes widened. "I had asked them what they did in Teikou to become that good but they had told me that Teikou had nothing to do with it."

"They're monsters." Ishikawa said as he continued to skip. After he got over his shock, he couldn't help but grin.

"With this…with _them_ ; Coach, I believe that we can win the Winter Tournament."

"I believe you're right."

 

_xxxx_

 

After the school day had ended, Kuroko felt exhausted and practice hasn't even started yet. It was all because Kise and Ogiwara went at it again at lunch; he had to quell them before Kikuchi had arrived. If the manager had entered at that time, all hell would have broken loose.

They were currently in the changing room, the boys chatting away but the tension between Kise and Ogiwara was extremely thick. Hoshizumi and Masato especially were cracking up at this, Masato being the bastard that he is, he sometimes incited them as well.

After everyone was fully changed, they made their way into the gym, where they faced Ishikawa. The look on his face was serious, and the two time travellers had a feeling of what he was going to talk about.

"As you know, the Summer Championships are underway," he started. The boys nodded. "But, we failed to make it there." They nodded again albeit gloomily. "This means, from this day forward, we're going to be doing everything that is humanly possible to make it to the Winter Tournament."

The boys nodded once again, this time more vigorously.

"For the summer and winter breaks, we'll be having a training camp, drilling you bastards until you are made anew." Kikuchi then said. Everyone shivered when he spoke. "Since the Winter Tournament qualifiers begin in the first week of December, we have to work fast and hard to make it past there. After that, the actual tournament begins in January."

"And bear in mind that there will be schools that has had brilliant summers participating. That means, we'll be facing schools like Waseda, Amagiri but most importantly, Teikou. You'll need to be prepared to them down. _Take everyone down_." Ishikawa said.

This time, even though there was a bit of unease in their faces, the aura around them said otherwise. They wanted to win this. They wanted to become number one. The best. It was then that Kuroko was reminded of Seirin when they were preparing for the Winter Cup. His heart was moved, and it goes without saying that apart from using them to prevent the miracles from turning into monsters, Kuroko will help them to get the victory they deserve.

"So with that said," Ishikawa started. He then turned to Kikuchi, "It's all you."

The brunet then headed towards the storage room which was nestled in a corner of the gym and pulled out a small whiteboard. Kuroko and Kise saw everyone become as pale as a sheet. Afterwards, Kikuchi then scribbled on the board using both black and red markers. With every stroke, Kise and Kuroko heard the boys groan as though they were in agony. However, it wasn't loud enough to be heard by Kikuchi. They know that it wouldn't end pretty if he did, after all, Kikuchi believes that is a way of complaining, it just doesn't use words.

By the time the boy was done, the others collapsed onto the floor, Hoshizumi had streams of tears running down his cheeks. Abe and Masato clutched their shirts at the chest, seeming to indicate a heart attack; Mochida was staring with dead eyes, Hayato bit onto lip so as to not cry out.

"That will be your current regimen until the summer camp." Kikuchi said. "Any questions?"

"Yes!" they chorused with a bit of anger in their voices.

"Shoot."

"Why is it so brutal?" Ogiwara asked with tears. "We'll die! Especially me! I mean, _look at that_! What the hell, Kikumo!? That's blatant homicide right there!" In his regimen, he had different categories ― speed, dribbling, shooting. With shooting, Kise had noticed that Ogiwara had a limited amount of shots ― layups and dunks, he rarely made threes and Kise felt that he needed another weapon apart from those two. Kise planned to teach Ogiwara how to dribble better, as well was becoming deft with his left hand. But most of all, he needed to be up to speed. As a small forward, Kise felt that he was a bit too slow.

Kikuchi looked totally unaffected. There wasn't a hint of care in his expression. "It says here that 'one needs to die first before they are reborn', if you want to win the Winter Tournament, then quit your bitching."

Ogiwara looked crushed.

"Why does Abe's look the easiest out of all of us?" Masato asked.

"It isn't." Kikuchi said. "Different positions, different methods of training. Just because it isn't what you got, doesn't mean it's easier. It's only done to strengthen your positions."

Hoshizumi nodded his agreement. But then he asked, "So where's Kise and Kuroko's?"

"They'll be the ones to oversee you lot."

"But that's unfair!" Hayato shouted. "We get to die while they watch us? Unbelievable!" he then went into his godly mode. "You foolish mortals! How dare you incur the wrath of the Great Yatogami!? I will smite you for attempted murder!"

Kikuchi sighed. "I know they have their regimen, and it's probably more hellish than yours."

"Wait, _who_ made these regimens?" Mochida then asked. He noticed that the flow of this argument seemed to imply that they weren't made by Coach or Kikuchi.

"Kise and Kuroko." Kikuchi replied in-a-matter-of-factly. But before any of the boys could pounce on them, Kikuchi then added, "Touch them and not only will you have one thousand laps to do, I'll _personally_ skin you alive." His tone was icy here. They, more like Masato, Hayato and Abe were frozen with that one sentence. Hoshizumi and Mochida chuckled at this. Ogiwara looked away, avoiding Kikuchi's scary gaze.

After everyone calmed down, Kikuchi then said, "Come on you bastards! It's time to make you into men!" he then blew his whistle. "First up, warm-up laps around the field!"

Kise, Kuroko and Hoshizumi moved off instantly, the others letting out an agonized groan.

Kikuchi twitched. "If you aren't out of this gym within three seconds, I'll make you run until ―" he was unable to finish his sentence as the boys were out of there within a flash.

Seeing all this, Ishikawa could only laugh. Kikuchi really was a master at getting the rascals submissive. Kikuchi then went by the door to watch over them. He knew that if he doesn't, the unruly trio (Abe, Masato and Hayato) would probably stop mid-way and start walking. But, so far, it was quite funny to see them.

Kise and Kuroko were at the front, but Ogiwara was trying his best to catch them up, (more like catch Kise). The competitive nature between two could be felt even from where Kikuchi was standing. Everyone else was jogging at their own pace, Hayato and Abe at the very back, seeming to be too engrossed in their conversation to care about what was happening in front of them.

But just then, he saw Ogiwara overtake Kise to end up in the lead. He then looked behind him and apparently said something which caused the blond to stop. Then, he dashed off with a speed, overtaking Ogiwara. Not wanting it to end like this, Ogiwara sped up as well, trying to overtake Kise once again, but the blond would not have it. He dashed off way from them, Ogiwara trailing behind trying his best to catch the blond.

But, Kise was a monster.

Kise left behind Ogiwara in his dust, the brunet had to admit defeat. Kikuchi then blew his whistle, signalling that they should stop. The boys then returned to the gym after which they went straight into their warm-up stretches and such. For about five minutes they did this, after that, it was their new regimen.

Kuroko took Abe to one side of the court, while Kise had Ogiwara. The others were taken by Ishikawa and Kikuchi who were using the information that Kise wrote for their training. They were then divided into two groups; Hayato and Hoshizumi were in one group while Masato and Mochida were in another.

"I think you're secretly trying to kill me." Abe said to Kuroko with a peeved look on his face. "Is this revenge for hating you?"

"That's ridiculous." Kuroko responded. "I just want you to get better. You want to win the Winter Tournament, don't you?"

"Yes…but…" Abe looked away.

"In the Narita match, I noticed that you're only able to pass through certain walls of defences. By the Winter Tournament comes around, you should be able to pass to Hayato-kun even if there is a wall in front of you."

Abe almost sparkled but withheld himself. He then folded his arms over his chest and huffed. "Fine." But Kuroko could see that there was a hint of happiness in his face.

"Alright, the first thing is to have an idea where your teammates and opponents are on the court _before_ you get the ball."

"Huh?"

Kuroko sighed. He then looked over to where Ogiwara and Kise were, and made a calling gesture to the two. Looking at each other, the two boys then dashed over, thinking that Kuroko only wanted one.

"I need both of you for a demonstration."

They deflated in an instant. "Sure," they mumbled.

Kuroko then instructed Abe and Ogiwara to stand as defenders, while Kise was given the freedom to choose wherever he wanted to stand. But when he did so, he was at the in the paint, and thus, Abe and Ogiwara double-teamed him. When they were ready, Abe then threw the ball to Kuroko, and quickly got into position.

Kise then jumped, prompting them to do so as well, however, the blond quickly returned to the floor and dashed around them, stretching his right hand out behind him. Within a blink, the ball landed squarely in the blond's palm, he made a dunk.

"See?" Kuroko then asked. Abe could only nod.

"Kuroko, why didn't you use me instead!?" Ogiwara argued.

"Ah," Kuroko said, unable to find an excuse. But then a thought came to him. "When you get better by following the regimen then I'll pass to you."

Kise nearly erupted in laughter at that statement. He'd always knew that Kuroko could be quite mischievous sometimes, but using his passes to get Ogiwara pumped up to learn from him. _You're classic, Kurokocchi._

"Then, what we waiting for? Let's go Kise!" Ogiwara said as he grabbed the blond by the wrist.

"Hey! We're not friends! Let me go!" the blond protested as he was dragged away by Ogiwara.

Kuroko and Abe chuckled at their antics, but after the boys had returned to their spot on the court, they went back to what they were doing. Kuroko then threw the ball to Abe, who on reflex caught the ball.

"To be able to do that, you'll need to know exactly where or who you want to get the ball to." Kuroko explained. "If it's a certain area of the court, then you'd have more than likely have to get the ball through defenders. If it's to Hayato-kun or anyone else, it'll be twice as hard."

"How come?"

"Because you'll have to get the ball through your and Hayato-kun's defenders while at the same time, ensuring that it lands safely in his palms."

Abe blanched. "Is such a thing possible?"

Kuroko smirked, "Weren't you watching?" the small blue-haired teen then took the ball and said, "Now, let's go."

"Wa-wait!" Abe called out. "How will I even get good at this? I don't have anything to…"

"Use your imagination." Kuroko said blankly. "You're young aren't you?"

Abe sweat dropped. "You're talking as though you're older than me."

Kuroko didn't respond, instead he then gave the ball to Abe and pointed to a certain area at the three point line. "I want you to imagine Hayato-kun standing right where he'd usually. Pass the ball there."

"Are you nuts?" Abe asked. "How am I going to ―" he broke off when he saw the look on Kuroko's face. The boy still had his somewhat blank expression, but his face was darkened a bit. Abe felt a shiver run down his spine when he saw him.

"You want to win don't you?" Kuroko asked. With a sad sigh, the blue haired teen then walked to the sidelines and took up his, Ogiwara and Kise's water bottles and went to the three point line. He then placed his bottle in the shooting guard's position, while he placed the others in positions and defenders.

"Abe-kun, pass to this bottle, then. Since you lack imagination." He deadpanned.

Abe huffed. "Fine, I can do something as simple as that."

"You mustn't let the ball touch the other bottles though."

Abe's eyes widened. "Through that narrow space?! Are you crazy?"

"I'm perfectly of sound mind."

"I wasn't asking you!" he then shouted. "But that's impossible! The ball is too big to be able to pass ―" He broke off when Kuroko made a gesture. Abe then threw the ball to the boy after which, the ball landed in Kuroko's palm. At the moment of impact, Kuroko spun while twisting his upper body to the left, then releasing the ball. It curved around the two bottles, effectively knocking over the one at the three point line.

Abe's eyes widened at this.

He couldn't believe what he had just seen. The ball _curved._ He's never seen pass like that before and surprisingly, Abe didn't what was more unbelievable, the pass he'd just witness or the fact that he was going to be learning how to do that. In his awe, he then looked between the fallen bottle and Kuroko _thrice._

"That was amazing," he let out, even though it pained him to say so in front of Kuroko.

" _Now can we actually get started_?" Kuroko then asked. He was somewhat annoyed that minutes have passed and they haven't begun anything yet, while it was clear that everyone has.

Abe nodded his response.

"The first thing I'd like you to do is imagine how you'll pass the ball to the bottle. I'm pretty sure that you're thinking of doing it like I did, right?"

"Are you a mind reader?" Abe asked in shock.

"Yes, I am." Kuroko deadpanned. Abe cringed. "Anyway," Kuroko continued. "You should find a style that fits you and not just copy what I do. It'll end in a disaster." He remembered the time when he had decided to teach Kise how to pass like him and even to this day, the blond is failing miserably. Kuroko then fixed the water bottles and instructed Abe to get into position.

"I see." Abe then looked at the bottles, at Kuroko then at where he was positioned. Afterwards, he made a step forwards and slightly turned his body towards Kuroko. Since the bottle was at the three point line, and he was currently in the paint area, he had come up with some sort of plan.

With a nod to Kuroko, Abe prepared himself to receive the ball.

Kuroko then threw it towards him, after which the boy took another step forwards when he received it and then bounced pass it towards the bottle. However, the ball had touched one of the 'defender' bottles and not the 'shooting guard' bottle.

"Damn! And here I thought that I would have had it!" he grunted in frustration.

"Abe-kun, it was your first try, that's pretty normal." But Kuroko was pretty glad that Abe was getting fired up at this.

"I know." He said, strangely, he looked a bit too focused. "But next time, I'll definitely get it right!"

Kuroko left the boy alone. Seeing like this, he decided that it was best that he just passed the ball to him instead of trying to hold a conversation. Once again, Kuroko threw the ball to Abe, who repeated what he had done the first time.

Yet again, it ended in failure.

With a grunt, he looked to Kuroko who could understand what the look meant. So, as much times as Abe wanted ― needed, Kuroko passed the ball to him, and every time, he failed. But after many tries, the brunet was close to giving up.

"This is impossible." He said. "I don't know how you managed to do it, but this is flipping impossible."

"What were you trying to do?"

"What do you mean?! I'm trying to pass to the damn bottle like you said!"

"I meant what technique you were using." Kuroko deadpanned. "And please don't shout. I'm thirteen; I don't want to be deaf by next year."

"You…!" Abe looked as though he was going to burst a blood vessel. But then, he calmed down, remembering that Kikuchi was still inside the gym somewhere. He wouldn't want to have another one thousand laps added to his already nine hundred and ninety-six. "I was trying to get the ball through the space at an angle. I noticed that to pass the ball straightforward is too narrow a space, I decided that maybe I could get it in at an angle."

Kuroko nodded. "Not bad. But have you ever thought of getting the ball around the block? Or maybe over? If Hayato-kun has a height advantage"

"Eh?"

"I mean, your target is my water bottle who's acting as Hayato-kun." Kuroko shrugged. "And in reality, a person doesn't stand still and wait for the ball to come _directly_ to them, right?"

Abe twitched with rage."Why didn't you tell me before, _huh_?" He then roared, catching the attention of everyone in the gym. He then grabbed Kuroko by the shirt and pulled him closer. "You have me here stressing myself out, and _now_ you tell me that I could have passed around the goddamn bottles?!"

"You have to think for yourself. In a real match, will there be anyone to say 'Abe-kun, pass the ball around the defenders instead of through them'?"

With that he calmed down. "Tsch! Fine, let's go…" he broke off as he saw what was happening in the gym. "…again?"

Kise looked absolutely murderous, but he was being restrained by Hoshizumi and Mochida, with Kikuchi apparently saying something. His mouth was moving quite fast. Abe shivered. He was actually glad that they had withheld the blond, because God knows what would have happened if they hadn't.

And so, he and Kuroko started once again, and every time that Kuroko passed him the ball, he failed. He was getting miserable, as he had noticed that even though the light-blue haired teen was casually passing, the ball had still landed firmly in his hands.

It was on the sixth try that Abe decided to try something different than what he was doing. Once again, with a nod to Kuroko, he received the ball with ease, but instead of bouncing it towards the bottle; he pivoted on his right leg to directly face it, jumped and released the ball as though he was shooting a three.

The ball landed a little off of the mark, but nevertheless, the target bottle was wobbling.

Abe's eyes sparkled with joy. "I did it!" he jumped. "Kuroko, I did it!"

Kuroko smiled as he applauded the boy. Even though he did manage to get the ball pass the 'defenders', with a pass like that, anyone could steal it. If Hayato is shorter than his defender, then that would surely be a lost cause. But, he didn't want burst Abe's bubble, after all, the boy had really tried.

It was then that he heard rapid squeaks of sneakers and ball bouncing that he decided to turn around. His eyes then locked onto to Ogiwara and Kise, the latter were a smug expression.

 

_xxxx_

 

After he was forcibly dragged away from Abe and Kuroko, Kise's expression had been serious. Ogiwara wondered what could have caused the blond to look as though he was

"I'll start you off with dribbling."

"Huh?"

"Your left hand dribble is terrible!" Kise said. "Better yet, it's non-existent!"

Ogiwara didn't respond. He knew that what Kise was saying was the truth.

"In a match, a really heated one," Kise continued, remembering Seirin's match against Seiho. "Your defender will most likely stay on your dominant side. So if you're right handed, he'll stay on your right, preventing you from making any plays." Kise then added. "And if that should happen to someone who can only dribble properly with his right hand, what's going to happen?"

"Do I need to answer that?"

"No…as long as you know the answer." Kise grinned. He then gave the ball to Ogiwara. "What you need to do is practice dribbling with your left hand. So as of this very moment, you aren't going to be using your right hand."

"What?!"

"Every time you do so, I'll let Kikumocchi decide your punishment."

"You're evil." The brunet shivered, totally overlooking Kise's nickname for Kikuchi.

Kise only grinned. This, was going to be fun.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading~!


	19. Chapter 19

 

 

_"Remember, teamwork begins by building trust. And the only way to do_

_that is to overcome our need for invulnerability."_

\- Patrick Lencioni

 

…

…

 

 

The evening was murderous for Ogiwara, and all throughout, it was obvious that Kise was enjoying this. It pissed off Ogiwara to no end, and it made his dislike for Kise skyrocket even more. However, what pained him the most was that he knew that Kise was a better player than he was, and that he actually needed the help from the blond. But little did Ogiwara know, Kise wanted to provoke him so that it could push the boy to do his best.

However, so far so bad.

Ogiwara can't even keep the ball steady for a minute. No matter what he tried, Ogiwara kept floundering about like a fish out of water. Strangely, Kise wasn't annoyed. This was simply because of what he went through with Kuroko when he was teaching him to shoot and dribble and all other things. Ogiwara wasn't as half as bad as the blunet, so he wasn't going to lose it.

"Ogiwara, this is ridiculous." Kise started with a sigh. "How is it that your right hand dribble is next to perfect but your left hand abnormally sucks?"

"Sh-shut up!" the brunet retorted. "I just can't use my left hand as good as my right!"

Hearing this, Kise figured the root of the problem. With a sigh, he made a gesture to Ogiwara. The other boy threw the ball to the blond after which he tucked it under his arm.

"Let's stop this then." He said.

"Eh? What?" Ogiwara asked as he couldn't believe his ears. He may have disliked the blond for behaving like Kuroko's owner, but he really didn't want Kise to give up on him like this. After all, he wanted to help win the Winter Tournament. "Are you serious?"

"Yes. We'll take up dribbling later. What we'll do instead is to improve your blocking skills."

The brunet let out a sigh of relief. Kise raised his eyebrow at that action. When he then asked Ogiwara what the matter was, he could only reply with a shake of the head. Wordlessly, Kise then started to dribble the ball on the spot, prompting Ogiwara to get into a defensive stance.

Kise smirked.

Looking at the boy, to an average basketball player their current age, his block could be considered as average. Not bad but not great either. It could stall someone for two minutes or so. But, against Teikou and all those other schools, he'd have to come better than this.

"Ogiwara!" they heard a shout coming from another part of the gym. It was Ishikawa. "What kind of block is that?! Raise your arms a little bit ―"

"Coach! That's what we're fixing!" Kise replied. He then placed an index on his lips, and seeing the blond's face, the coach left him to his devices. But, he kept an eye on them, wanting to see what the blond will instruct Ogiwara.

Kise then turned back to face the brunet. "Ogiwara, it's as Coach said. Your block isn't terrible but neither is it great. It would be great to stall someone until back-up arrives, but…" he trailed off, "… _stalling_ isn't an option in the Winter Tournament. Your enemies need to be downright _stopped_. _"_

Seeing how serious Kise's face was, Ogiwara shivered. He's never seen this side of the blond before, and he wondered where the hyperactive nuisance had gone. This Kise was focused, so focused to the point that Ogiwara thought that this Kise in front of him and the one he's always encountered were two different people.

He was taken out of his thoughts once again when he heard the ball dribbling. He looked at Kise's face to see the blond serious, and within a flash, he had dashed past him, ending up behind.

"Wha…?" Ogiwara couldn't even complete the word. He knew that Kise was fast from the time they had played the two-on-two against Hoshizumi and Abe, and from the time when he was bringing them to the clubroom for lunch for the very first time. But this…this proved to him that all those times prior to this, the blond had been holding back.

"Ogiwara, what do you notice about me?" he then asked.

"Huh?" Ogiwara hadn't fully heard since he was deep in thought.

"What do you notice about me? A habit, a style or whatever you want to call it."

Ogiwara paused. This question was a tough one. He hadn't met Kise that long ago to notice anything. But, he went with one generalization. "You're right-handed?" he actually asked this as a question.

"Yes. Then, since you notice that, what can you deduce?"

Deduce? Isn't this basketball? Why does he need to do this just to stop an opponent?

"Umm, since you're right-handed," he started to give himself more thinking time, "you'll more than likely have the ball on your right-side more?"

"Yes…" Kise said dragging out the word. "Not what I was looking for, but let's work with that for now."

Ogiwara raised an eyebrow. At this point, he wished that he was with the others, either being worked to death by Kuroko or slaved out by Kikuchi and Ishikawa.

"What are you going to do now since you notice that I'm right-handed?"

"Ha." Ogiwara made a light chuckle. "It's not like I can stop you either way, right?"

"Yeah, but what are you going to do now since you notice that I'm right-handed?" he asked again.

Ogiwara paused to think. This was a tough one, in his opinion. If someone is right-handed, what should he do as a defender? Stay on their dominant side to prevent them from passing and receiving? He stopped. Maybe that was the answer.

"Ah, block their dominant side?"

"Not really what I had in mind, but don't forget that idea. It may be a dangerous one if used properly."

"Then what did _you_ have in mind?!" he barked. "You're having me use unnecessary energy just to figure out how to block?! This isn't math class or something!"

Kise sighed.

He then tossed the ball to Ogiwara and told him that he was on offense. When he started to dribble the ball, Kise went into a typical defensive stance. However, there were no gaps there. Ishikawa saw this and raised an eyebrow. When Ogiwara had attempted a drive past the boy, he was blocked brilliantly. When Ogiwara shifted to the right to make a break, Kise was there. But, he noticed something. Kise was always on his right side. He was so uncomfortable being that he was forced into staying on his left side more.

His eyes widened in the realization.

He stopped dribbling, the ball rolling a little away from them.

"I see." He said, admitting defeat. "I see what you were trying to do. I should stay on my marker's dominant side and force them to use their left hand, isn't it?"

"That's a good boy. That way, the ball is more likely to get stolen." Kise grinned. "Now let me actually tell you how to go about it."

From then on, Ogiwara was subjected to a life of misery.

 

_xxxx_

 

And so, the weeks went by, Kuroko and Kise slowly adjusting to their new school life at Meiko. For Kuroko, it was the usual like that of Teikou, being that no one ever notices his presence before they're scared half to death. And, he's made quite a few acquaintances with his classmates, most due to Ogiwara's influence. The brunet kept spreading it that they were childhood friends and so, he was able to converse with not just Kise and Ogiwara in the class.

But apart from that, in basketball practice, he continued to teach Abe, and they had reached a point where he could test it out with Hayato. The first couple tries were a bit off, and the 'Yatogami' had to be scrambling for the ball that was off its target. But, being the hard-worker that he is, and really wanting to best Kuroko, Abe continued to practice even out of training time and not before long, he was able to find his own passing style, even though it was a bit similar to Kuroko's.

And Kuroko was glad for this. Abe didn't seem like he'd murder him anymore, but maybe it was because he had something else to direct all his energies on.

However, in Kise's case, life at Meiko seemed to be turning out into a nightmare. The blond never knew what the problem was, but as soon as he steps through the gates, people steer clear from him. He knew that he was wearing the same uniform as every other boy, minus the fact that most wore short sleeves while his sleeves are long but cuffed at the elbow. The only addition is the cap which he uses to hide his hair and face. He just knew that the male population would come to hate him if he should discard his disguise. After all, this was unlike Teikou, where he was at their opening ceremony and everything else, so everyone knew he was a pretty boy from day one.

Here in Meiko, he was a transfer, and just like in those mangas he's read, transfers tend to have a hard time in the first week of school. But this…this was something else. Kise wondered if he had done something wrong on the day he transferred but all he could remember is that his introduction was rather stiff. That's all. So, why was he being isolated and feared?

In class, whenever they had group work to do, he'd always join up with Ogiwara and Kuroko, but when they had to work in pairs, sometimes Ogiwara would claim Kuroko first, making him seek out someone else. And in each case, they were terrified of him so much that they either fake an illness to disappear to the infirmary, or beg him not to beat them up. The latter, he found to be very strange.

When he could actually take no more, he told the guys at lunchtime his struggles. They had actually laughed at him at first, until Ogiwara said quite nonchalantly:

"They think you're a delinquent."

"Eh?" he had said at the time due to his shock. "It's not like I behave like a rag-tag bandit! Or-or disrespect teachers, or put my foot on the table top in class!" he shouted. "But look at those two," he then said pointing at Hayato and Abe. " _They_ look like the delinquents!"

Well, that was quite true. In Abe's case, he wears his shirts out of his pants and open to reveal coloured shirts beneath. The colours of these shirts always varied but nonetheless, they were always bright. In addition to that, Abe wore what seemed to be a perpetual scowl during the days. Hayato…he had _bleached blond_ hair, his shirt is always out of his pants, he wore accessories ― _chains_ , _rings_ and even the magnet _earrings_. So, they were basically the epitome of 'looking like delinquents'.

"Watch your mouth mortal." Hayato then said in a pompous tone. "We have to dress like this to blend in. Demons and evil spirits are roaming amok this land, so we have to get close to vanquish them without them realizing who we are first."

Abe had nodded with fervour at the bleached blond's statement. "They'll try to escape."

"Ignore them." Hoshizumi said with a chuckle. "Everyone knows that they devote themselves to the basketball club. And not only that, they are in the top ten of their cohort in the proficiency tests we had not too long ago. Delinquents don't do that, right?"

Kise's jaws dropped.

He wasn't shocked that they were devoted to basketball, he could already see that, but to actually hear that they were in the top ten of their grade was nothing short of mind-blowing. It wasn't as though he was belittling them, but to think that they were actually this smart…what other ways will this crazy team surprise him?

"Also, you are a transfer. You just suddenly pop up here with the cap and cuffed sleeves and laid back attitude. No one knows what to think." Kikuchi had joined in. "For those who are delinquents, we already knew from opening ceremony so it's nothing new. But you…with the cap on, no one can see your face. It's kinda creepy since…" he trailed off. "It's even reached my class. Everyone is always saying that they're sorry for class 1-A." he switched the subject quite fast.

"I meant to wear the cap to ward off girls; I never knew it'll have this adverse effect." Kise had said almost tearing up. He really didn't want a repeat of his time at Kaijou. "I don't want to be the ostracized 'delinquent' for the next two years."

"I can't help you, bro." Masato had said, sipping on his canned drink. "The only option, ditch the cap. If girls attack you, file a lawsuit or restraining order."

Everyone gave him a look.

"What? I'm just saying." He said with a shrug. "But, it's not my problem anyway. You can just be the ostracized delinquent for the remainder of your time here." He drawled with a mocking tone.

"You're mocking me aren't you?!" Kise flew out of his chair and grabbed the boy across the table by the collar. "You're totally mocking me!"

Masato smirked. "Me? No way." He said playfully. "But it's clear isn't it? You want to clear up this misunderstanding, then get rid of the cap. You could always dye your hair black."

Kise twitched. Masato really knew how to aggravate people. "I'll kill you!"

"You're on! Just so you know, I know martial arts!" Masato grinned deviously.

"Hoh?" Kise said. "What a coincidence, so do I."

But before they could actually kill each other, they were halted in their tracks.

"If you don't kiss and make-up, you know what will happen to you, right?" Kikuchi warned with a darkened expression. Hoshizumi sat with folded arms glaring at the two. The dark aura that emitted out his body was enough to even make the others flinch.

"Tsch!" both said as they returned to their seats.

"As if I'd do that with someone who's not Kurokocchi." Kise mumbled but sadly, it was a bit loud enough which everyone heard and hearing that, Kuroko's face had reddened so much that he had to bend his neck to hide. The others then had mischievous looks on their faces, while Ogiwara seemed murderous.

Lunchtime continued with fun after that, Kise somewhat relieved now that he knew the reason behind the other students' fear of him, but pissed ever so often due to Masato's taunting.

Kise also managed to escape taking off his cap in P.E class, since they were outside, caps were allowed due to the sun. The blond couldn't have been happier.

Aside from this drama, Kise helped Ogiwara and Mochida to improve their blocks, but what he taught them was something similar to Seiho's blocking style. He had figured that if that Tsugawa brat was able to stop him when he was in Teikou and Kagami when they were in high school, then it was worth it to teach the two. But, of course, he made sure to warn them of the drawbacks and have them find solutions to fix it. After all, they were the ones who would be using it, so it would be wise for them to find the solutions that are compatible with their bodies.

But throughout all this, Kise and Kuroko had proven the truth to Coach Ishikawa's words about Hayato. Apart from shooting threes and blocking (somewhat), Hayato really was an odd one. He dribbling seem as though he was using the area of his hand little below the centre of his palm. It was extremely strange, as with Hayato, unlike everyone else who bounces the ball to the floor, he pushes the ball slightly forward a step ahead. So, by the time the ball bounces off the ground, he reaches up to it to push it back down. Watching him in practice, Kise got a headache.

And it didn't end there. His shooting of layups were the strangest in the blond's eyes, and Kise couldn't ― _didn't_ ― try to comprehend him. He was similar to Moriyama, even though his Senpai from Kaijou was just an irregular shooter, whereas Hayato does _everything_ apart from shooting threes irregular.

In addition to that, Kise and Kuroko got even closer to Kikuchi, being that they got to plan all sorts of things for their team for the summer. This prompted Ishikawa's involvement, as Kikuchi would usually show him what they created. Sometimes he'd change up the regimens a bit; after all, Kise and Kuroko aren't coaches.

After their practices in the evenings, Kuroko and Kise stayed behind (as always) to practice their own moves. Kuroko perfected his drive and his shot, Kise deciding to test out teaching Kuroko how to shoot threes. It was a disaster as once more he missed all the shots horribly. Couple times, Kuroko used a bit too much force and had it fly pass the rim of the net, crashing into the walls of the gym on the other side. Another couple times, Kuroko used too little force and the ball stops short of the hoop and it ends up landing in the paint area or another time, when he was totally frustrated and lost his sense of direction. That time, the ball ended up at the baseline. It stumped Kise, the blond wondering how the hell it ended up down _there_.

But after minutes of trying, they decided to rest (well Kise insisted that Kuroko should rest). The smaller teen retreated to the baseline and sat while drinking water.

During that time, Kise refreshed his muscle memory with the copies of the miracles after which he'd go into the ordinary copies, of which Kise would put his own spins to.

Watching him, Kuroko was left in awe. He knew Kise was a beast from their past and future, but seeing him now, Kuroko only had to wonder if his basketball skills have no ceiling. He was continuously growing, evolving and he was wondering just what kind of monster he will end up becoming when he enters high school. The light-blue haired teen kept admiring the blond from the sidelines when he was resting, but found that there was a feeling rising in his chest.

He's felt this before, and Kuroko knew that he couldn't deny it. He knew that this was something more than a crush, Kise had really wormed his way into his heart. At that point, Kuroko grabbed the cloth at his chest, trying to figure out what to do or rather, how to feel.

But, separate from their basketball lives, Kise had his modelling work to do, and often times, he'd dragged Kuroko along with him.

And just like that, roughly three weeks ran off.

 

_xxxx_

 

"I hope you all have rested well." Ishikawa said with folded arms to his boys.

"Yessir!" they all chorused.

They were all gathered at the gym, dressed in their jerseys. They wore their long light green pants with their matching blazers over white-shirts. Kuroko was the only one who had zipped up his blazer, everyone else had theirs open.

Kise was nothing but a ball of sunshine, glad that they were finally going to be playing a match. Not one against their fellow teammates, but against a school they don't know. He couldn't hide his grin, as a matter of fact, he was quite eager. He had talked about the match with Kuroko prior to this day, and the two decided that he'd play like Akashi for a time during this match. It was only to test out just how good his copies of the redhead was, especially the ankle break.

Soon, they boarded the bus to go the venue; it was Morino Middle, one of the teams that had qualified for the Summer Championships. When the boys had heard, they seemed quite gloomy but after a pep talk from Hoshizumi and a threat from Kikuchi, they were rearing and ready to go.

For almost an hour of riding the bus, they had finally arrived at their destination. There was already someone waiting by the gate for them, he was dressed in his dark purple shorts of his jersey and light purple shirt. He was an ordinary looking boy, black hair and black eyes. When he saw them coming towards the gate, he quickly greeted them and guided them to the gym.

But, for the player from Morino, the air seemed a bit heavy as no one talked, they didn't even smiled or tried to look around the school. He had found it creepy and once they had reached the gym, he regrouped with his team, leaving the rest in his coach's hands.

"Glad that you could have made it." The coach said with a smile. "I'm Coach Goda."

"I'm Coach Ishikawa," he started. "Likewise, I'm happy that you have received us."

The coach then talked about other things relating to the match while another player showed them the locker rooms.

"I'm so happy!" Kise chirped as he hugged Kuroko. "Let's show _them_ the power of our duo!" here, he was referring to Abe and Hayato, who would always boast that they have the best teamwork.

Kuroko smiled. "I couldn't agree more, Kise-kun."

"This is not fair! Captain, I want to start this time around!" Hayato said with a frown. "I can't have my priest facing danger while I'm still on the bench! Most importantly, _they_ are instigating that their duo is better than ours! There's no way two plebeians who crawled up out of the mud could be more powerful than the Yatogami and his High Priest!"

"Such a sharp tongue you've got there, boy." Kise twitched with rage as he took a step closer to the other blond. "Way too sharp." With a menacing smile, he then asked, "Kurokocchi, shall I cut it out of that head of his?" but knowing Kuroko's reply, he then said, "Indeed I shall."

"I'll provide you with the necessary equipment." Kuroko said. Well, although he knew that it was Hayato's personality, being called a 'plebeian' who had 'crawled up out of the mud' was quite upsetting.

"Oi!" Hoshizumi shouted to get back to reality. "Calm down, will you? And Hayato, apologize."

"Yato, this is standard." Abe said, rubbing the back of the blond. "You should be used to this." He then sent a smirk in Kuroko and Kise's direction. "But, I'm actually quite interested in what their teamwork is _actually_ like."

And just like that, the other boys realized that the tension in the atmosphere had risen just because of these four boys. Kikuchi had a mischievous look on his face, and those who saw it, started to fret for their own individual safety.

"I'm going to talk to coach," Kikuchi said with a smile. He then swiftly changed into his jersey, although he had put on the light green shirt instead of his number five shirt. After that, he exited the locker room. But little did the boys know what awaited them.

Kikuchi made his way back to the court where he saw Ishikawa sitting on the chair beside what would be their bench.

"Coach, I have a proposal." He said.

Ishikawa raised his eyebrow. "Which is…?"

"Let me start instead of Abe."

"Why?"

Kikuchi smiled. "From what I saw in the locker room, Abe and Hayato, Kise and Kuroko; there seems to be in a war between whose duo is better. I believe that we should make these duo watch each other. They really need to calm down."

"That's why you want to start, huh."

"Hai."

Ishikawa sighed. "You forgot to add 'for your own entertainment'. I know you, Kikuchi. You want to see the reactions too, don't you?"

He grinned. "Well, they have been acting up lately. From Abe and Kuroko not getting along; Kise and Ogiwara having some sort of stifling rivalry, Kise and Masato sometimes wanting to kill each other for dumb reasons, now it's the duo from Teikou and ours wanting to kill off each other in the locker room. Those rascals are always at it." He then sighed. "I'm just hoping that they all return here in one piece."

Within a few more minutes, the boys returned to the court and as they sat down on the bench, Ishikawa started.

"Abe, you'll start in the third quarter."

They paused.

" _Excuse me?_ " He asked, his voice entering a falsetto. "How's that…?"

"I'll be taking your place for the first half." Kikuchi spoke up. "And as such, the starters will be me, Kise, Kuroko, Mochida and Hoshizumi-senpai." He then added, "That means, Ogiwara, Abe, Hayato, Masato and Mochida will be in the second half. Any complaints?"

"Of course!" Abe shouted. "There won't be any point guard for twenty minutes of gameplay?! How's that going to work?!"

Kikuchi grinned at him, after which he grabbed Kuroko by the t-shirt and hauled up towards him. "We may not have a point guard per se, but we do have a passing specialist, no? I'm pretty sure that Kuroko has what it takes to be a pseudo-point guard." He then leaned downwards into Abe's face, giving the boy a taunting look. "Don't worry, no one is taking your place or trying to be _better_ than you."

"Wow, Kikumocchi never ceases to amaze me." Kise said with a light chuckle.

"Kikumocchi?" Hoshizumi laughed. "Isn't that cute?" but then he looked at the boy, "You should know what Kikumo is like by now."

"Remember that I've been here for just four weeks."

"Four weeks is enough."

"Alright! Enough chatter!" Ishikawa then said to get them focused once again. "The time is now. We have Morino to face, and as you can see they'll probably give us a warm time. But thanks to Kikuchi, we have a fighting chance." He then looked to Kise and Kuroko. "This is your third test to become a part of our Meiko team. Well, it doesn't matter what the results are, from these past weeks, I can tell you'll be a good addition to our club."

"Thanks Coach." Kise said with a grin.

"Now, go out there and demolish them!" He encouraged. "I expect nothing less!"

"Hai!"

And so, the five boys walked out onto the court, Kise couldn't help but grin. Kikuchi then threw an arm over both Kise and Kuroko and grinned.

"Now with Abe and Hayato watching, you can put on a show for twenty minutes without holding back." Kikuchi was really egging them on. "Holding back is not an option, because you know what will happen if you do, right?" he added a threat for extra effect.

"Yessir!" they chorused.

The two teams then assembled at the centre-circle, the referee holding the ball in one hand and had his whistle in his mouth.

"Let the match between Meiko Middle School and Morino Middle School begin!" the score keeper announced.

"Let's play a good game!" the boys shouted.

With that, the whistle was blown and the ball was thrown into the air for tip-off. Mochida and Morino's number Ten face off for it.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading~!
> 
> Sorry I haven't been replying to comments promptly, these days, I'm only able to post and then leave.


	20. Chapter 20

 

 

...

...

 

" _Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision._

_It is the fuel that allows common people to attain_

_uncommon results."_

\- Andrew Carnegie

 

...

....

 

 

As the two centres reached for the ball, Kise leaned forwards seeming to be preparing to run off. But, Ten was taller than Mochida so he managed to pass it to his point guard which was Four. Morino's players then made their way towards Meiko's court but in that instant, Kuroko had snuck up to Four and stole the ball from him, making his way down towards Morino's court. Kise had then ran beside him and in doing so, made Kuroko release the ball to him. He caught it with ease and proceeded towards the net. Morino never caught him back, and he slammed the ball through the hoop in a dunk.

Meiko's on-court players rejoiced and got into their defensive stances quickly. Mochida was at his usual place ―at the net, Hoshizumi defended the zone of the left three-pointer area, Kikuchi was doing the same as Hoshizumi on the right, Kise was in the paint, and Kuroko was somewhere as usual.

Ten had retrieved the ball, and quickly passed it to Four. They were still a bit shaken about the steal just now, but they decided to leave that for the break. The others had run on ahead, getting ready to break through Meiko's defense. Four stopped by the top-of-the-circle, to assess the layout of the Meiko players. He then instructed his teammates on where to go, before passing the ball to Eight. The boy was the second tallest of the team, and the moment he got the ball, he stormed in towards Kise.

The blond couldn't be happier.

Kise move up closer to Eight to stop him in his tracks, but since Kise was younger than him, he underestimated the blond's defense. He then moved to his left, Kise stopped him. He moved to the right, Kise still stopped him. No matter where Eight decided to move, Kise was there obstructing his path. When Ogiwara saw this, his mouth hung in awe. Training with Kise and seeing him in action was like too different things. He now realized ― _admitted_ ―that Kise was actually a great player. But, they played the same position, small forward. Ogiwara didn't want to lose to him, but there was some part of him that had a feeling that there was more to the blond than meets the eye.

He came back to reality and noticed that Kise _still_ had Eight busy, the other Meiko players made sure to block his teammates. The clock was winding down for a foul, and Eight started to get frantic. When he saw that he couldn't pass Kise, he decided to attempt a shot. He took a step backwards and then straightened. He released the ball however, Kise jumped as well, using a copy of Murasakibara, and slammed the ball back downwards to the court. Eight couldn't believe what just happened. Neither Kise nor any of the Meiko players lingered, as the moment they saw that the ball was blocked, they quickly went into action. Hoshizumi had snatched the ball since it had bounced into his direction and swiftly passed it to Kuroko.

Without hitch, the boy made a 'watered down' ignite pass to Kikuchi who was the furthest down the court. The manager caught the ball although it stung him a bit, but Eleven was on his case. The opponent managed to catch Kikuchi and both Kise and Kuroko made a mental note to up their speed to frightening heights for Winter. But, back to Kikuchi and Eleven, the manager swiftly bounced the ball through Eleven's legs and dashed around him in time to catch it back.

He then bounced pass it to Hoshizumi who had gotten into position by this time. The captain received it and quickly, he made a three. They then retreated into their court, getting ready to defend.

Ishikawa and the others who were watching had a satisfied look on their faces, but they all had a feeling that there was something more to their transfers. Remembering their practices and the regimens that he's looked over, Ishikawa just knew that Kuroko and Kise are currently holding back.

_But why?_ He thought. However, so far, it isn't detrimental to the team.

Back on the court, Meiko were all in a zone defense, Morino seemed to be getting irritated at the fact that Meiko is now at five points while they have yet to score. Seeing the looks on their opponents' faces, Kikuchi wore a smug grin. This was what he wanted. And when everyone else saw the look on Kikuchi's face, they shook their heads in pity for the other team. One thing that Meiko knew was that Kikuchi can be quite manipulative.

Morino then headed towards them with a fierce offense, Eight and Eleven storming towards them, Five and Ten behind those two and behind everyone else, there was Four. He was barking out instructions to his teammates, but Meiko didn't care one bit.

But as they got closer, Morino noticed that they were only seeing four of Meiko's players. They didn't dwell on that too much, but that was their mistake. When Four made a pass to Eleven, it never made it to the destination. Kuroko intercepted it and made his way back to Morino's court, Kise close to him as always. But, not wanting them to be alone down there, the two transfers slowed down so that their teammates could join them as well. But that also meant Morino's players could catch them too.

When they were all in Morino's court, Kuroko passed the ball to Kise who with a smirk paused where he was. In front of him was Eight, and in many other defensive positions behind him were his teammates. Kise decided to try another copy. Well, the copy that he and Kuroko had thought about testing out in this match.

Then, Kise started to dribble the ball rapidly. Eight watched the ball and tried to stop him but before he knew it, he lost his balance and was falling. Kise grinned. He passed Eight and continued on, meanwhile, Kuroko had signalled to the others that they shouldn't interfere with the blond.

Kise continued, this time, Eleven and Ten decided to block his path but they met the same fate as Eight. Kise dribbled the ball extremely fast, and when he went into his crossover, the poor souls ending up falling to their knees. With a smug look, Kise walked towards the net and made a shot.

The entire gym was left in awe. Ishikawa actually rose to his feet when he saw that. Kise had actually taken on three people and floored them, _literally._

"Wow!" Hayato said with shock. "He made them grovel before him!" he then got serious. "That blond better teach me how to do that! Do you know what that is, Haru?"

"It's ankle break." Abe answered. "It's actually a high level dribbling technique, but it's quite surprising that a thirteen year old can do that. Right, Coach?" he then turned to look at Ishikawa.

"It's exactly as you say." Ishikawa responded. "I've even seen where high school students are still having problems to do it, and yet, he's able to produce it with such ease." He then made a nervous chuckle. "Just what is that boy?"

"Don't forget Kuroko," Masato joined in. "I haven't been able to locate him if he isn't dribbling the ball or stealing. He's like a ghost. And his passes are really on target."

The others nodded in agreement. Ogiwara had a proud smile, seeing that his childhood friend has become so good in basketball. The last time he saw Kuroko play was when they were much younger, and he still had an issue with dribbling then.

They then focused back to the match just in time to see the two teams getting quite aggressive. But when Morino got aggressive, it pushed Kise and Kuroko to return the favour, which is quite detrimental for them.

The match continued on, and somehow, Morino managed to get in two points through a combination of Ten and Eight. After Four had passed the ball to Eight, the power forward dribbled until he had reached his preferred area. And, without hitch, he made an aerial pass to Ten who caught it with ease due to his height.

Another time, they managed to get Five ―their shooting guard to make a three. It was really because upon their assault, Five was close to Four so to point guard could have easily passed to him. He then dribbled into his preferred position with Hoshizumi blocking him. But, through a fake, Five had made his shot cleanly, much to Hoshizumi's displeasure.

But, while Morino was seemingly climbing with points, Kise and Kuroko had laid off a bit just to examine their opponents better. Ishikawa and the others had no idea why they had suddenly stopped being aggressive and nearly called a time-out. But he managed to catch the look on their faces and decided not to.

So, while Kise and Kuroko lay back, the others had their time to shine. Kikuchi showed his skills as a power forward, making his slam dunks, and showing off his dribbling. He weaved through the defense whilst driving towards the net as well, although, there were times when Eleven stopped him in his tracks, forcing him to pass to Hoshizumi mostly. It was in times like these that the manager and shooting guard could be considered a duo, as no matter where Kikuchi is cornered, Hoshizumi is always there for either an assist or to receive the ball.

On that note, Hoshizumi showed just why he was the captain of Meiko's team. Every time he received the ball (mostly from Kikuchi), he made sure to make his threes or any other shots depending on where he is at the time of receiving. Apart from that, he assists with defense as well, he made sure to keep his marker ―Five in place.

Mochida did a fairly good job as well under the net; the boy manages to get rebounds from the other team whenever their ball missed. Thankfully, Hoshizumi has yet to miss any of his shots. Also, his defense is quite good, probably due to him specializing in that field and being trained by Kise. Whenever Meiko was defense, he sure puts a stop Morino's advances.

And so, the first quarter ended with Meiko leading on nineteen points, Morino on twelve.

After the referee blew his whistle and made the announcement, the two teams returned to their benches, Meiko were in high spirits.

"Good going out there, boys." Ishikawa said. He then turned to face Kise and Kuroko, who were sitting side by side. "Why did you suddenly stopped playing?"

"We were just observing the opponents." Kise said. "We _were_."

"That's what I want to hear." Ishikawa replied with a smile. He understood what Kise meant when he emphasized 'were'.

"Kise! You have to teach me how to make people grovel at my feet!" Hayato said, eyes sparkling as he grabbed the blond's shoulder. "As your Yatogami, I order you to!"

"Hai, hai, Yatogami-sama," Kise said waving his hands before him. "When training resumes."

"Alright! Enough of these frivolities, we should be preparing for the second quarter." Kikuchi said, getting them back into the serious mode. "Kuroko, Kise," he called, "What do you have planned for the second quarter?"

"It's simple. We'll not allow them any chances to keep the ball let alone score any point." Kise replied. "Kurokocchi and I just plan to let loose out there."

Kikuchi grinned. "That's fine by me. We'll back you up then."

Kuroko shook his head. "We'll have each others' backs. If any of you find yourselves with the ball and can shoot then do so." Eyebrows were raised at that statement. "When the game starts, you'll understand." Kuroko then sighed. Meanwhile, Kise grinned like a fool.

"Break is over! Let the second quarter begin!" the referee announced.

Meiko and Morino had once again made their way onto the court; this time, there was an air about the Morino team that made Mochida shiver slightly. Kikuchi smiled smugly since he recognizes this as a challenge, Hoshizumi just wants to make as much threes as possible and well, it's as they said, for Kise and Kuroko, they were going to relieve themselves of all the pent-up stress.

The second quarter began with a throw-in from Morino; Ten passing the ball to Four. Meiko were all in a zone defense; Kise was by the left baseline area, Hoshizumi was by the right, Mochida was the usual place, Kikuchi was by the top-of-the-circle, Kuroko was behind in the free-throw circle.

Eight had headed into Kise's direction, but instead of heading down to face the blond, he remained at a distance. But, he was within Kise's line of slight. Five did the same as Eight with Hoshizumi, Four had stayed at the top-of-the-circle with Kikuchi, while Eleven and Ten stayed in the open spaces, totally unaware of Kuroko in the free-throw circle.

Four then looked around to see who would be the best choice. He wanted to pass to Eight since he has the most firepower. But he was in Kise's domain. Four noticed that Kise was not to be trifled with and should he pass to Eight, he knows Kise will attack. He then looked to Five. He was in a favourable position to receive and make a shot, but, Hoshizumi could attack, and Kikuchi, who is in front of him, could intercept the ball should he realize that he was passing.

So, Four decided to pass to the Eleven, since he was unmarked. He first made a fake to seem as though he was passing to Ten. It fooled Kikuchi, and the ball managed to make it to Eleven. Seeing that, Kise and Mochida swapped places, but when the blond reached under the net, he received a signal from Kuroko and smirked. He then dashed off from the net, stunning everyone. But, seeing the blond in action made Eight follow him.

Eleven then reached into the paint area and decided to pass to Five so that they could get a three. Mochida had moved back to his net since Eight went in pursuit of Kise. However, the pass to Five from Eleven never made it. Kuroko intercepted it, and without hitch, sent it flying to Kise who was by the centre circle. When he received it, he dashed off with frightening speed, Eight unable to catch up. Morino's other players were kept at bay by their teammates, leaving Kise to do what he wanted.

The blond dribbled to the three-point line, in hopes of making a three for maximum damage. But Eight wouldn't allow that. He jumped for the block, but little did he know that that couldn't stop Kise. The blond changed his pace, returned to the floor before Eight could and sped off towards the net. There, he made (what would be later) his famous one-handed dunk.

When he landed, there was a visible grin on his face, but Morino looked absolutely shocked. Eight especially. No matter how fast he willed his legs to run, he just couldn't catch back the blond.

_I wouldn't want to imagine how fast he is when he isn't dribbling._ Eight thought with horror. But that was a frightening fact. If Kise was _that_ fast and he was dribbling, he's more likely to be faster when not. Eight shivered.

Kise then returned to his half of the court quickly, Eight going to retrieve the ball. But little Morino know, that this was just the beginning of their misery.

Eight dribbled until he reached where Four was, and gave him the ball. Meiko's formation hadn't changed that much, the only difference was that Mochida was at the baseline instead of Kise and Kuroko was where Kikuchi was.

Seeing him, Four was a bit frightened as he had totally forgotten that the boy was playing, after all, he was the one who stole the ball from him after tip-off. But, judging the boy by his looks, Four blew him off as weakling and made a crossover in an attempt to pass Kuroko. But the moment he'd done so, Kuroko dashed forwards, knocking the ball from his hands.

Meiko then moved off seeing that the ball was stolen. While Kuroko dribbled towards Morino's net, Hoshizumi and Kikuchi were the ones who were close enough to him. But they brought along their defenders as well. By the time Kuroko made it to the top-of-the-circle, Hoshizumi and Kikuchi were blocked by Five and Eleven, Kise had Eight at the centre-circle and Mochida had ten across from those two.

But, Kuroko knows his teammates, especially Kise.

He gave the blond a look and then made eye-contact with Kikuchi and Hoshizumi. Somehow, the latter two could tell what Kuroko was trying to tell them. So, he then passed the ball to Kise, who upon receiving it, broke past Eight and dribbled into Kikuchi's direction. Seeing the approaching blond, Eleven left off Kikuchi to try to stop him, but as he did so, Kise passed back the ball to Kuroko who redirected it Kikuchi.

Stunned at how fast the ball moved, Kikuchi was frozen for a while, but quickly came back in time to throw it to Hoshizumi, who was open at the three-point line. Fearlessly, he made his three.

However, when Ten went to retrieve the ball, Morino noticed that Meiko was still in their court.

"These greedy bastards!" Ten shouted with rage. "Before they go back to defend, they're trying to get another shot!?"

But while he was there dribbling and ranting, he hadn't taken notice of Kuroko. It was when he felt the weight of the ball missing from his hands and his teammates looking frightened that he realized it was just stolen.

Kuroko then passed it to Mochida, who was the closest, but when the centre jumped to make a bank shot, Ten jumped for the block. He was then forced to pass it back to Kuroko who was in the vicinity, but the light-blue haired teen simply redirected it to Hoshizumi who once again made a three.

Morino were furious.

Eight eyed Kise, Four looked murderous towards Kuroko. Kise caught that look and emitted his own maliciousness at the point guard, causing him to flinch and look away.

"There it is, the ominous black spirit," Ogiwara said out loud when he saw Kise.

"Who?"

"Kise." He replied. "Trust me; his nickname should be 'ominous black spirit'. It's frighteningly befitting."

"I think it should be 'Transcendental Deity'." Hayato said. "That's more fitting. I mean, only a higher being is capable of getting these mortals to bow before them. Kise pulled it off easily."

"Couldn't we just leave him as Kise?" Abe asked.

Ishikawa just laughed at their antics. However, their attentions went back to the match, it was here that Ishikawa and the others from Meiko saw the tip of the iceberg to what Kuroko and Kise could really do.

Kise was dribbling the ball towards Morino's court with everyone else trailing behind him. Then, he stopped as soon as he reached the free throw circle, and released the ball behind him. But once again, Morino (and Meiko somewhat) got another shocker when they saw the ball fly from behind Kise straight into Kikuchi's hands.

The boy then made his way to the net and made a shot.

"Nice, Kurokocchi!" Kise said, he then looked into Kikuchi's direction, "Nice shot, Kikumocchi!" he gave the manager a thumbs up.

Kikuchi twitched. "Kikumocchi?" He then jogged back to defend with the others, but while he did so, he asked Kuroko, "Why is Kise calling me _Kikumocchi_? It's disgusting."

Kuroko chuckled. "He adds –cchi to the names of those who he respects."

"But can't he just call me Kikuchi only? I mean, my name already ends with it."

"That doesn't count."

Kikuchi then walked towards Kise and then karate chopped the blond on the head. "My name is Kikuchi Motoki, with my nicknames being Feudal Lord and Kikumo. Not _Kikumocchi._ "

"But I add –cchi ―"

"To people's names who you respect." He finished. "Yes, Kuroko told me, but jeez, it's not cute."

Kise deflated. But then he perked up in an instant. "Alright, Kiku-cchi!"

Kikuchi was not amused. "Why do I have the feeling that you're still calling me by your own choice of a nickname?"

Kise simply shrugged his shoulders. "Believe what you want, Kiku-cchi."

"Six hundred laps when we return. You can keep Abe's company."

Kise nearly broke out in tears.

And thus, the match continued on with a ferocious intensity, which sadly for Morino, they couldn't stop. Kuroko and Kise proved to be the dangerous duo of the court. Kuroko stole every ball under the sun from any of the Morino players, and even intercepted passes as well. Whenever he does that, he passes to the most preferable person, be it Kise, Kikuchi or Hoshizumi. Mochida is usually too far away and he can't catch the Cyclone Pass nor the Ignite as yet. It is because of Kuroko why the Morino players are often time distracted, looking around like for the ball, and sadly by the time they find it, it's already going through the hoop.

Kise was just as bad as Kuroko, and what was more, he only decided to use only two copies of the miracles. On defense, if it's called for, he'll use a copy of Murasakibara but if not, he resorts to a regular defense. On offense, he uses Akashi's Emperor Eye but it was just to test out how good he has that copy down. Apart from that, Kise made sure to show what hell would look like to Eight, demolishing him with his superior speed, superior skills and experience. He storms in Morino's court many times with or without the ball, and thanks to Kuroko's precision passing; the ball always ends up right where he wants it.

And every time that happens, he and Kuroko would give each other high five's…almost on _instinct_.

Kikuchi didn't shine as much as Kise did, but he made sure to have the blond's back. Whenever Kise went on his streak, Kikuchi was always nearby to provide either screen (sometimes Kise didn't need it), or keep the defenders at bay. There were also times when he received amazing…perfect passes from Kuroko and made his own shots as well. And when Kikuchi got into his rhythm, he was a danger as well. Maybe not as lethal as Kise, but nonetheless, still a pain in the ass for Morino.

Hoshizumi and Mochida were not to be forgotten either. The captain, while he wasn't the type to storm into enemy territory and make dunks as though he'd tear the hoop, his threes were flawless. Once there isn't a defender to block him (which is usually caused by Kuroko's steals sending them looking around for the ball), his threes would _always_ reach their destination. And as usual, Mochida protected their net brilliantly.

Coach Goda was shocked as well. Meiko ―more like, the _blond_ , was proving to be a handful. And thus, he decided to call a timeout. That blond needs to be stopped. He explained to his boys to change their patterns but focus on the blond instead. Kuroko was an invisible factor so telling them to stop him was a lost cause.

After their timeout was over, Meiko noticed the change in their formations, but that didn't stop them ―didn't stop Kise and Kuroko.

And for the rest of the second quarter, Kuroko and Kise continued their slaughter of Morino, ending up with thirty-two points at the end and preventing Morino from getting a single point.

"Second quarter over! Ten-minute break!"

The two teams once again returned to their benches, even though Meiko was leading by a huge margin, they weren't jumping for joy or hooting or anything. They were too awestruck at the abilities of their transfers to do anything.

Abe and Hayato were stunned as well, and now they knew which duo was better. Even though they didn't score all the points for Meiko, there were many assists, and they managed to bring out the best in the others as well.

"Good job out there guys," Ishikawa congratulated them. Meanwhile, the others who were seated started to put on their jersey shirts, preparing themselves to go out onto the court. Ishikawa then looked at them, "These boys have given us a considerable lead, don't let their work be in vain."

"Yessir!" they chorused.

"Mou~" Kise started to whine. "I wanted to continue playing."

"Kise, stop complaining." Kikuchi said.

"Hai!" he quickly responded, not wanting to get any additional laps to do. He then turned to Kuroko who was sitting by his right. "You were totally awesome out there, Kurokocchi! I feel like I could catch your passes forever!" he then pulled him into an embrace. All of Meiko paused, staring at the two.

Kuroko smiled. "That's nice Kise-kun."

"I would really want to catch those passes for the rest of my life."

"Are you insane?!" Kikuchi then asked. "His passes sting!"

"But that was watered down greatly, Kikuchi-kun. Kise-kun is always catching the original."

"That was _watered down_?" he then shivered. "I beg you, I want to keep my hands for as long as I live, so don't pass like that to me! It stings! It hurts! It's brutal!"

"Kiku-cchi, all you have to do is work on that and sooner or later you'll be able catch the Ignite passes."

"Ignite. Good name, I felt like my palms were on fire, yes." He nodded.

It burned Ogiwara to see how close Kise was to Kuroko, but he somewhat understood. He had moved, leaving Kuroko all alone when they were in elementary school. Obviously, Kuroko would end up having a bond with someone else since they weren't near each other anymore.

"Oi, aren't you a bit too close to Kuroko, Kise?" he then asked.

"Nope!" Kise answered with a grin. "He's my shadow, and I can't be a Light without him."

"Hoh?" Masato started up. "That's what they're calling _it_ these days? _Li_ ―" he was unable to finish his sentence due to Abe covering his mouth.

"He said nothing, guys." The point guard said. "Nothing at all."

"Anyway, as Coach said, you better not allow them to catch us up. Continue with the lead." Kikuchi said. But he then smirked. "You saw how dangerous Kuroko and Kise were, right? So, I think you two should them the might of Meiko's Divine Combo."

Abe and Hayato grinned.

"You heard that, right, Haru?" Hayato asked.

"Of course, Yato."

Ogiwara and Masato didn't need anyone to tell them anything. They were going to go out there and play like their lives depended on it. After all, they didn't endure that regimen for three weeks for nothing. Plus, they just knew that more was in store for them.

"Break's over! Let the third quarter begin!"

Ogiwara, Masato, Abe, Hayato and Mochida then headed out.

_xxxx_

Aomine rehydrated himself by the sidelines since they had been given a break. It's been about four weeks since Kuroko and Kise left and the tanned boy didn't know how to feel. He was sad that he won't have anyone to play basketball with after school anymore, but he was quite upset that they left without saying anything. If Momoi didn't have the skills that she did, he would've just thought that they had disappeared off the face of the planet.

Maybe that was a bit of a stretch.

He really missed them and had wanted to play basketball with them on the same side of the court, in the same uniform. What kind of school was Meiko anyway? He knew they weren't outstanding, since well, he hasn't heard anything about them. And what's more, the Summer Championship began and there hasn't been a single uttering about them. If they were a strong school, there would be a buzz, fans saying who they would want Meiko to meet and play, they get it a lot. And it goes if they were an underdog team that made it, then people who have been talking about them as well.

But he hasn't heard _anything._

He would have asked Momoi to find out about them, but he really didn't want to go shopping with her again. It was far too taxing.

"Aomine-kun, you look like you're in deep thought." Akashi said as he stood beside him. "Are you alright?"

"Well," he started. "I'm fine being that there's nothing wrong with me physically."

"Then…?"

"I'm just sad that Kise and Kuroko are gone. I missed our after-practice sessions in the third gym that's all."

"I see." Akashi said with a nod. "I do agree that it would have been the best if they had remained here. I could tell that they both had talent." He then mumbled. "Especially that blond."

"Do you know what kind of school Meiko is?" Aomine then asked. "I've never heard of them before."

"Meiko…" Akashi said as he placed a hand on his chin and looked up. "Neither have I. I doubt that they're even participating in the Summer Championships, since their name isn't in the brackets."

"That can't be ―!" but he cut himself off, remembering what Kise had said over the phone.

" _You'll get to play us in the Winter Tournament."_

"Damn," Aomine then said.

"Is that the school Kuroko and Kise are now attending?"

"Yeah, and I can't understand why they would go to a school that no one knows about. Is it that they didn't want me to find out?"

"It could be that they moved and it's the closest school."

"That's impossible, Akashi." Aomine drawled. " _Kise_ is the one that moved. Or so he said. They aren't even related. Kuroko still lives at his house, but according to the blond, they can't play basketball without each other. Well, Kuroko was in accordance as well. "

Akashi raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Can't play without each other? Is that to show how strong their friendship is or the meaning is literal?"

"It's probably the first. I've played one-on-one with Kise so many times that I lost count. He's fairly capable."

"But what of Kuroko? What's his play like?"

Aomine hung his head. "I've never played him. Kise was always so fired up and rearing to go that Kuroko just stays by the sides and keeps the scores."

"I see."

The coach then blew the whistle and they were moving back to the court once again. Everyone could tell that Aomine looked a bit down but dared not to approach him. Well, everyone except Haizaki.

"Daiki~" he said with an awful imitation of a sing-song voice. "What's with the long face~?"

"Shut up." He said, he didn't even shout at him this time.

"Hoh~?"

"Haizaki-kun, it's best that you stop." Akashi intervened before things got nasty. "Now isn't the time."

"Tsch, I'm just playing with him. What's wrong with that?"

"If you want to play, then why didn't you say so?" Aomine then smirked. The tanned boy decided that maybe this was a good way to relieve himself and Haizaki was the perfect specimen for this experiment.

He then went and took up a basketball and returned to Haizaki. "How about a one-on-one, since you wanted to play with me?"

Haizaki twitched with irritation. "Fine!"

Seeing what was going down, Akashi and Nijimura had everyone clear the area for the two boys. This was going to be interesting.

"So what's it going to be?" Aomine asked. "Defense or Offense?"

"Offense." Haizaki said. Aomine then threw the ball to the silver-haired teen who then grinned. They then walked towards the net while everyone else stayed at the sidelines, watching the boys.

Haizaki dribbled the ball on the spot, looking at Aomine dead on. The tanned boy had a spark to his eyes, when deep down, he wanted to see just how well Haizaki would play against him. If anything, he could be a substitute for Kise.

Haizaki then made a right to left crossover in an attempt to get by Aomine on the tanned boy's right. However, Aomine was fast. He blocked Haizaki before he got into his drive and forced the small forward to halt. With a click of his tongue, Haizaki then made a turnaround in order to fool Aomine. However, by the time he managed to drive pass the boy, he got caught and the ball stolen.

This made Haizaki automatically enter a defensive position, trying his best to not let Aomine score. But, Aomine retreated a little, causing Haizaki to wonder about his plans. Aomine then bent his knees and straightened, seeming as though he was going to make a shot. Haizaki jumped for the block but was too late. Aomine released the ball and then dashed around the boy and slam it through the hoop as it rebounded.

"Damn you," Haizaki hissed.

"Don't be like that, Haizaki." Aomine smirked. "Isn't this warm-up?"

_xxxx_

Aomine looked down on Haizaki who had a collapsed onto his fours, in shock. It wasn't that much of a surprise to everyone else, as they could tell from before that Aomine was a better player than Haizaki, but to see the two of them going at it like that was…interesting.

"Tsch," Aomine said with a click of the tongue. "I would have preferred if it was Kise instead. At least he would never give up in the middle of it." Aomine then walked away from them, exiting the gym. He needed a breather. He went by the pipes to wash his face but in reality, he wanted to hide his tears.

"What am I going to do now?" he said aloud to himself. "Practice matches and tournaments are just once. If you were here, I could play against you every day for however long we can go." He then cupped his hands to catch the water, after which he splashed it on his face.

At this moment, Aomine didn't know what to do. He absolutely loves basketball and was always looking forward to matches be it just a simple practice match or an official one in a championship. He never thought about what h would do in between, since he'd have practice.

But Kuroko and Kise (the latter especially) had awakened him to something that he has gotten hook on. After practice one-on-ones. The thought had never crossed Aomine's mind to play one-on-one with a fellow club member after practice and he found that he enjoys it greatly.

Every evening, he looks forwards to their one-on-one, and what's worse, Kise knows that Aomine is a far better player than he is, but he comes at him with intent to kill. And even though throughout their little scrimmage Kise kept losing, he never backed down. Instead, he comes at him with more ferocity, with more intensity, with more greed to win.

And even when he loses, he keeps saying that he'll beat him the next time. This makes Aomine anticipate the next day even more, so much that at one point, he was unable to sleep due to his excitement.

But now…he's got nothing to expect, nothing waiting for him in the third gym.

"Why did you have to transfer, Kise?"

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	21. Chapter 21

 

 

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" _Alone we can do so little, together we do so much."_

\- Helen Keller

 

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The boys marched out onto the court with an air mixed with confidence and nervousness. They were sure that they could win, but at the same time, after watching the first half, they were somewhat nervous as to what will happen in this half.

Meiko then went into their positions, but Kise and Kuroko noticed something odd. By the right wing at the three-point area there was Masato while in the paint there was Hayato. Seeing their set-up, to anyone it would seem as though Hayato is the power forward while Masato is the shooting guard.

"Ah, they're doing it now, huh?" Ishikawa said as he folded his arms. "It'll be interesting to see this."

"Doing what, Coach?" Kuroko asked.

"When they switch positions." He replied. "To fool their opponents, mostly."

"The last time they did that, it was in the leagues." Hoshizumi joined in. "They had switched shirts instead." He then chuckled. "It proved to be effective, our opponents did their research but didn't know what to do when who they thought was the shooting guard was the blitzing through defense like the power forward and etc."

"They could do that?" Kise then asked. "Play like each other, I mean."

"Of course, they can. They aren't twins for nothing." Kikuchi nodded. "While Hayato can be a good power forward, Masato's threes don't always go in. In a sense, he still needs work."

"I see." Kise nodded. He then grinned, wondering to himself what sort of play they'll show. After all, they hadn't worked their asses off for no reason.

But still, this team is a strange one. First it was their manager who is a power forward and now their shooting guard and power forward can play like each other.

The whistle then blew, and the gameplay began.

It started off with a throw in from Morino, immediately; they sped off towards Meiko's half of the court.

When Four reached at the top-of-the-circle, he then passed the ball to Eight. The power forward then drove towards the net, and seeing this, Hayato moved up to block his path. When this happened Eight was a bit cautious, being that he had gotten a firsthand experience of how dangerous Kise was. He made sure not to underestimate anyone from that team anymore.

He then dribbled on the spot, trying to break away from Hayato. But the Yatogami gave him a smug smirk, throwing him off a bit. Before he knew it, he saw Hayato move off, seeming as though he was allowing Eight to continue. But when he turned around, he bumped into Abe. In that moment of distraction, Ogiwara hurried over and knocked the ball from his hands, sending it bouncing towards Masato's direction.

The dark-haired boy then sprint for it, but his defender ―Five didn't give up. The two had basically reached for it at the same time, and sadly, it went rocketing down towards Ten who was at Meiko's net.

Mochida prepped himself was the onslaught, and when Ten had received it, pivoted on his leg to make a shot, Mochida timed it just right. Ten released the ball, but Mochida slammed it back to the court, Masato snatching it quickly and then passing it to Abe.

The bespectacled teen then headed towards Morino's net, Hayato and Ogiwara the closest to him. Reaching into their court, Morino had quickly entered their defensive positions. Abe tsk'ed' at this, but nonetheless, he decided to test out what Kuroko had been teaching him ― _them_. It still isn't up to Kuroko's level as he'd just witness, but nonetheless, once executed perfectly, it's fatal to the opponents.

Abe then stopped and allowed his teammates to get comfortable. Hayato got into the paint, Masato was by the left wing, Ogiwara in the same position in the opposite direction, Mochida was close to the left baseline area and unmarked.

"Ogiwara! Hayato! Masato!" he then shouted.

When three boys heard this, they prepared themselves to receive the ball. And luckily, none of Morino's players know who they were. Abe then passed the ball to Ogiwara who without hitch, made a chest pass to Hayato in the paint. Quickly, the Yatogami then passed the ball to Masato. He then bent his knees after which he straightened and released the ball, making a three.

Morino were peeved at this.

They knew that Kuroko and his annoying passes were now gone, but Meiko was still passing the ball annoyingly quick.

"What's up with those bastards?!" Eight snapped. "First it's the ninja and now this!"

"Calm down, we'll get them back." Four then soothed. However, he was just as pissed as Eight.

On the bench, everyone cheered at the success of that.

"It worked! It worked!" Kikuchi chirped. This was a side that Kise and Kuroko have yet to see. "Thank god,"

"Well, they were taught by my Kurokocchi after all." Kise said with pride.

Everyone else paused at that.

Kikuchi and Hoshizumi and grinned mischievously, Ishikawa looked indifferent. The man wasn't really reading too much into this, since his boys were _just_ thirteen. He believed that the blond couldn't have been talking about anything apart from friendly terms.

"Kiku-cchi, you look like you're scheming something." Kise said. "Your face is scary. You too, Captain."

They shook their heads without uttering a single word after which they refocused to the match. So far, the match was progressing fairly smoothly. For each team, multiple baskets were made, defense tried their best to block shots, drives and passes, the offense did their best into trying to evade these blocks to earn points for their teams.

By the time the third quarter was done, Morino's progress could be seen, their points catching up with Meiko's.

When the teams returned to their benches, in the space of Ishikawa, Kikuchi gave the boys a little pep talk.

"They're catching up, if we lose this match you know what will happen to you four, right?" he said this to everyone except Mochida, since he had been playing since the first quarter.

"Don't worry, Kikumo," Abe smirked. "We'll put them in their place."

Kise laughed lightly at the boy's confidence. "That's how it should go Abe," he said.

"Of course, I can't let Kuroko's hard work go down the drain." He grinned at Kuroko. "Right, sensei?" he then added as he threw an arm over Kuroko's shoulder.

"It's good that you think that, but there is no need for _you_ to put _your_ arm on _him_." Kise then said, viciously throwing the boy's arm off _his_ Shadow. Even though he had a smile, his face was darkened, as if sending out a warning.

"What's wrong with that, idiot?" He hissed. "We're all teammates. Why are you behaving jealous anyway?"

Kise scoffed. "I have all right to be."

The tension between those two rose, Kuroko feeling a bit stifled as he was right in between the two. But when he looked at their faces, he couldn't help but chuckle. They were classic.

"They're at it again?" Hayato then asked. "What's wrong with them?" For a fact, Kise and Abe's arguments were as common as Hayato's and Abe's 'compliments' of each other. It's become such a commonplace that Hoshizumi nor Kikuchi will move to do something about it.

"And Kuroko is always being caught in the middle of it." Masato said. He then shook his head, "It's sad."

"But then again, shouldn't Haru know that Kuroko is practically off-limits?" Hayato then asked again. "I mean, not even Ogiwara who's the guy's childhood friend can even look at him too ―" he didn't get to finish his sentence.

Ishikawa then clapped his hands together to get their attention. They've had enough fun now. "Ogiwara, your defense is a bit too lax. Raise your arm a little bit more and help out Mochida, he's been playing since the first quarter. I know Kise taught you better than that, right?" he then turned to Hayato, "Since they're catching up, the threes are important."

"You can count on me; after all, I am the Great Yatogami of the Land of Meiko." The bleached-blond boy nodded. "Plus, my High Priest is by my side. We shall conquer those evil spirits and purify this land."

"That's right." Abe nodded. Kuroko and Kise blanched. That's something they think that they'd _never_ get used to.

Ishikawa then continued, "but keep going at it boys. Don't give them an inch, if you do, it'll be the end."

"Hai!"

The referee then blew his whistle, signalling that the break was over. They headed back out, and in comparison to the other quarters, this quarter was high paced. It started with Meiko's throw in, Hayato gave the ball to Abe.

The blond then dashed to his spot, glad that his brother is back to being a power forward. This means, he'll vent out all his frustration for not receiving passes from Abe earlier.

Abe dribbled off to the top-of-the-circle and as usual, waited a bit for the others to get into position.

"You know, that's very dangerous." Kise then muttered to Kuroko.

"I know." He agreed.

"What is?" Kikuchi asked. Yes, he had heard what Kise had said to the light-blue haired teen.

"It's just that should we encounter top-tier teams, for Abe to be waiting until the others get comfortable is a dangerous move." Kise explained. "Normally, teams won't wait and the other thing, that gives the opponents chances to beef up their defences. That'll make it even harder to pass the ball around or escape."

"I see." Kikuchi said as he scribbled on his clipboard. But looking at the boy's face, Kise and Kuroko felt sorry for the others. But then again, they may get roped into it as well, Kikuchi pardons no one.

They then looked back to the match in time to see Abe passing the ball to Hayato using one of Kuroko's tricks that he was taught. The shooting guard received it with ease and not wanting this to go to waste, Hayato sunk it. When they were heading back to defend, Hayato then said to Abe,

"What was that pass, you bastard?!"

"Shut up, I got you the ball didn't I?! Be grateful, you asshole!"

"Haah?!" Hayato looked like he was about to strangle Abe. "Pass the damn ball more to the left! The shitting left! Is that so much to ask?! If you don't do it the next time, I'll kill you!"

"Can't you just move to receive it?!" Abe countered. "Kill me? Ha! I wonder how a decapitated head will accomplish that!"

While Hayato and Abe were bickering as they went back to defend, the others sweat dropped.

"Are they going to be alright?" Kise asked nervously. "Are _we_ going to be alright?"

"You should be used to them by now." Hoshizumi sighed. "They _are_ best friends, you know."

"Best friends don't threaten each other with such murderous intent!" Kise said. "Right, Kurokocchi?"

Kuroko gave him a look. "In what era are you living?"

Everyone cracked up at that statement.

"Kurokocchi…?" Kise said in shock. But then he remembered the many times he's had with Kuroko. The smaller teen had often time threatened him with an Ignite to the face, but he notices that Kuroko doesn't verbally threaten; instead he jabs in the side rather harshly.

"…I get what you're saying." Kise then said while subconsciously holding onto his side. "Best friends really abuse each other." He shivered.

Hoshizumi laughed at the blond's statement.

They were then taken out of their thoughts as they looked back at the match. Meiko were on the defense, but Morino's onslaught was fierce. Eight and Eleven charged in with power, Four got his teammates into the right positions so that they could receive and pass the ball quickly without hitch.

Four then passed the ball to Eleven after which he and Five assisted with defense. Eleven then seemed to be heading closer to the baseline when Ogiwara blocked him. Masato then turned his attention onto Eight, not wanting him to get any closer to their net.

Mochida was on guard, but playing from the first quarter was really taxing. Even Ishikawa saw this, and made a decision. He looked to Hoshizumi and the captain knew what this meant. Slowly, he then began to change, but Kikuchi stopped him.

"Coach, I think you should let Kise go instead." He said.

"Is that so?"

"Yes, I want to see how well the blond can play as a centre." Kikuchi grinned. "He's teaching Mochida and Ogiwara so I'd like to see how good he is for himself."

Ishikawa chuckled lightly. But, he gave into Kikuchi's wishes, being that the boy as never failed to disappoint him. "Kise, get ready." He then said to the blond. But, for a fact, he was curious as well.

"Eh?" the blond was taken by surprise. "Me? Why?"

"Your defense is good, is it not?"

"Ah," Kise then took off his shirt and proceeded to put on his jersey's; Hoshizumi gave him a thumb's up.

Back to the match, Eleven had managed to get the ball to Eight, since he had retreated back to the wing zone and shot the ball. However, looking at the trajectory, everyone could tell that it was an alley-oop.

Mochida had jumped for the block, but sadly Eight had more power and strength in his legs. He dunked against Mochida, blowing the teen to the floor. Morino then headed back to defend, Ogiwara and Masato assisted Mochida to his feet.

But then, they heard the sound of the whistle.

"Meiko, member change!"

Ishikawa then gestured to Mochida and the boy made his way off. By the time he reached at the sidelines, Kise placed a hand on his shoulder and said,

"Well done, Mo-cchi."

"Yeah, go give them hell, will you?" he said jokingly. He hadn't realized that Kise had basically called him 'Mo' since the others often time calls him 'Mochi'.

Kise grinned. "Of course; I need to expend all this energy." And then again, Kise wanted all the practice he could get. Since he was basically filling in for a centre, he decided that he'll stick to copies of such, and if needs be, he'll use a copy of Murasakibara…only if needs be.

When he walked onto the court, he saw the faces of Eight and Eleven blanch in horror. Just as they thought that they were relieved from _him_ especially.

"Coach sent _you_ out, huh." Abe said quite bitterly. "I thought he would send Captain or even Kikumo."

"Don't get in my way blondie," Masato said while giving him a nudge. "You had free reign in the first half, now it's my turn."

Kise chuckled, however, he ignored Abe. "I'm only going to be playing centre, so there's nothing you should worry about." He said to Masato.

They then went on the offense, Kise lagged behind in the back, since he was now a centre and not a small forward. Abe had once more stopped by the top-of-the-circle, well, since he was blocked by Four. Kise then came up behind him and without hitch, he passed the ball to blond. Kise then bounce passed it to Ogiwara, who received it with ease and drove towards the net with Kise jogging as well.

However, the blond was then stopped by Eight, who wanted to keep him still. With a blank stare, Kise then dashed around him, heading to the net in case there is a rebound or something. Of course, this was infuriating to the older boy, but nevertheless, he decided to leave Kise to Ten. If there's one thing that they have the advantage with, it's height.

Ogiwara had then reached into the paint, and then passed the ball to Masato. Upon receiving the ball, the boy smirked evilly and navigated around Eleven with a swift crossover.

He then managed to make a shot while Kise tried his best to keep Ten at bay.

Meiko then returned to their half to defend, Kise wearing a big grin on his face. The blond was just excited to be in a match, and judging at how this match is going, there's a highs chance that he won't need to use a copy of Murasakibara.

Morino had then entered their court; Abe hadn't even moved to block Four at the usual spot. Abe was in the free-throw circle with Masato and Hayato on both sides of him at the left and right wings. Ogiwara was behind Abe in the paint, while Kise was the net.

Morino found this strange, but nevertheless they continued on. Four then passed the ball to Ten while Eleven and Eight went to mark both Masato and Hayato, Five went to Ogiwara. Ten continued onward to the net, where he had to encounter Kise.

He stopped and dribbled, preparing a plan in his head to get pass the blond. From the first half, he knew that the blond was not to be underestimated. He paused a while and saw that everyone was in a man-to-man defense. That means, there's no one free for him to pass the ball to.

"Tsch," he hissed when he realized that he'd have to face Kise. But then again, he noticed that Meiko had subbed off their centre, he was starting to wonder if the blond can actually fill that hole. Having good defense is one thing, but being a _centre_ is a different story.

He then decided to take a gamble.

He shot the ball to the net, but then made a dash to catch it when it rebounded. However, he missed the smirk on the blond's face.

As Ten had shot the ball and moved off, Kise turned around and jumped for the ball, snatching it before Ten could. He then passed it to Abe, who the sprint downwards to Morino's net, of course, Four chasing him.

Masato and Hayato were the ones who followed, leaving Kise and Ogiwara down in their court, the two boys preventing their markers from following the others. The moment Abe neared the free-throw circle; he then passed the ball to Hayato who was already in his usual spot. And, from the advice that Hayato gave him, Abe made sure to give the bleached-boy the ball he wants.

Hayato grinned when the ball landed squarely in his palm and swiftly he made a three even though Eight had managed to graze it. It spun around the rim of the net before going in.

It was then that Morino had called another time out. It was clear on their coach's face that he was upset, seeing that Meiko was getting away with murder. He shouted at his boys, and even Meiko could hear all that he was saying, after all, the gym echoed.

After two minutes, the referee blew the whistle, and the teams once more headed out onto the court. And ever since then, the match became a constant run-gun. With five minutes of gameplay left, both teams went head to head, Morino being the most aggressive since they were behind on points.

Eight, Eleven and Ten were the core of Morino's offense, since they were bigger than the Meiko players. Often times, Four would pass the ball to either of those three and they'd storm into Meiko's court, hoping to get some points.

However, against Kise's defense, they failed miserably.

The blond would keep whoever with the ball stalled and in one place, sometimes, even causing Eight and Eleven to pick up a foul for holding the ball too long. Morino were more than angered about this, but sadly, they couldn't do anything about it.

And with Kise on such good defense, the others had nothing to worry about…mostly. He moment Abe gets the ball, he'd dash off towards Morino's court, Ogiwara, Masato and Hayato already ahead of him going towards their positions. And of course, Kise lagged behind, as he told Masato, he won't be getting in their way of having fun.

In these times, Abe would mostly pass to Hayato so that he could land his threes and give them more of a lead, however, when things look bleak should he pass to the Yatogami, he'd pass it to Masato or Ogiwara. Or sometimes, passes it to one and instructs him to pass it to the other depending on the situation.

The two boys ―Ogiwara and Masato never failed to make use of the ball whenever they were given it. On offense, they made dunks and layups but on defense, they tried their best to keep their markers in check. It wasn't as solid as Kise's (even though he's in another league), but still, it made Ishikawa wear a face of satisfaction.

By the time the match had ended, Meiko emerged the winner.

_xxxx_

The boys went back to their normal routines at school, practice becoming even more intense as Kikuchi had requested Kuroko and Kise's help once again to improve the team. He had a video of their match against Morino, and thus, the three boys tweaked their regimen somewhat.

Ever since then, they've had practice matches, it being Ishikawa's idea to see just how they've grown. He's been working with the three boys (Kikuchi, Kise and Kuroko) as whenever they come up with something for themselves and the others, he has to make sure that it isn't something that'll kill them off.

In practice, when the other boys had seen what was in store for them, they nearly fainted. Add to that, Kikuchi had given them something to worry about:

"Rest assured, we'll be slaving out until the Winter Tournament." He even added a smile.

But outside of the court, Kise's life at Meiko was still a bit sad and lonesome. He was still being treated as the 'delinquent that must be avoided', and no matter how much he tried to socialize with the people of his class, it always ends in failure. He couldn't understand why they had that image of him, as he doesn't get into fist-fights, he doesn't disrespect teachers, his uniform is pretty normal (minus the stitched cuffs). Kuroko and Ogiwara assists sometimes, but the students have it that Kise is forcing them to. There was even a vicious rumour going about that he's bullying Ogiwara into doing his bidding.

But what he couldn't understand was the fact that Hayato and Abe had many friends. They looked the part more than he does, but yet they are still treated normally. He found that extremely unfair.

At first, the blond decided to ignore it, thinking it'll blow over, but his middle school life was getting disastrous. It was then that he thought of taking Masato's advice and ditch the cap, but he was still worried about the attacks from the female populace. While being isolated, he found that (in comparison to Teikou and Kaijou of his previous life) this was actually quite peaceful. He could practice without girls passing by the gym and screaming, Meiko could keep practice matches (even though it was only one at the time) and there won't be a crowd of screaming fangirls present. As a matter of fact, he could simply _walk_ in peace. He's always dreaded whenever his photobooks came out, or when he's in a magazine.

But, he needed friends. And not just Kuroko and Ogiwara and the other guys from the club, as a matter of fact, he only shares classes with Kuroko and Ogiwara. What if one day they aren't at school? He's going to be extremely lonely and feel the effects of the isolation more.

Kise didn't know what to do.

But, unbeknownst to him, his cap wearing days will be coming to an end.

It was an ordinary Thursday, Kise and Kuroko doing everything like it was their ritual. They met up at the train station, boarded it, and chat about many things along the way. They entered the schoolyard together, people steering clear of the two due to Kise's look (which wasn't all that scary, it's just that the cap darkens the area at his face). They made it to their classroom peacefully, and the moment they opened the door and entered, everyone paused.

Ignoring them, the two made their way to their seats, and continued their talk. However, since there was no one near them, they began to talk about basketball related things, and how to improve themselves and their teammates. But, the two realized that the other students were talking in a hushed tone.

Ogiwara had then came in, greeted his other friends before sitting with Kuroko and Kise.

"What's up?" he greeted.

"I think your classmates are scheming something. I'm scared." Kise said. Kuroko and Ogiwara looked at the boy with a mocking expression due to what he said lastly.

"I don't think they are, and if that's the case, I don't think it's anything to do with you. Or us." Kuroko replied.

"You're scared? Don't make me laugh, Kise." Ogiwara chuckled. "You're just paranoid." He then let out a groan as though he remembered something. "Shit, we have P.E with 1-C today, right?"

"Yeah, it shouldn't be a surprise." Kise shrugged. "Isn't this the usual?" but then he added, " _We_ have pool today though. I don't think we'll be sharing the pool with them."

"It's just that from practice yesterday, I'm still sore." He whined.

"Get used to it. You want to win in Winter right?" Kuroko asked.

"Of course," he said with vigour.

"Then don't complain." Kise added. "As the saying goes, no pain no gain."

Then, not long after, the homeroom teacher came in, and they settled down.

The first two periods went on quite smoothly, and now it was time for P.E. However, this time, they were going to the pool. But, yet again Kise was lucky since he had lied about being hydrophobic.

When they had arrived at the changing rooms, Kuroko and Ogiwara had parted ways with him as he had headed directly outside to the pool deck. The instructor wore a sympathetic face and then encouraged the blond to take swimming lessons to get over that fear. He quickly denied, lying once again by saying that it's too traumatizing.

Soon after the boys and girls filed out of the changing rooms, and Kise took his seat on the bench by the fence while he watched the others ―Kuroko, have fun. However, Kuroko had stayed rooted in the shallow area, while the more experienced swimmers headed out further towards the deep end. But, it was fun for Kise, he laughed at their stupidity ―once, they had attempted to play 'Drown the Victim', where a number of them would attack a single person, trying to get them underneath the water. It was hilarious, but frightening. It was then Kise realized that middle school boys could jump so high, it seems as though they're flying.

But, the class had come to an end, and the students made their way out and to the pipe to wash off. Kuroko was the first one out and was walking with Kise back to the changing room, but that was when it happened.

Two of their male classmates ―Oda and Akagi, were racing each other to the rooms like idiots. Everyone who was in their path shifted a bit so that they could pass, however, due to where Kise was walking; he had to make a step to his right, ending up close to the edge of the pool.

But then, Oda had to swerve around a fellow classmate, ending up in Akagi's way. The taller boy then had to side-step but in doing so, he managed to crash into Kise, sending the poor blond right into the pool.

Everyone froze at that moment when they didn't see Kise come up.

"Kise-kun!" Kuroko shouted out, getting onto his knees and stretching his hands out hoping that Kise would grip them. Ogiwara jumped in to rescue the (supposedly) drowning boy, meanwhile, cries for the instructor echoed, but by the time the man reached, Kise and Ogiwara had already surfaced and were swimming towards the wall. But, the blond's clothes were soaked. So too his cap, which had served as a fangirl repellent.

"Kise-kun, you're alright? Right?" Kuroko then asked. He was genuinely worried.

"Yeah, I just feel disgusting right now." He said as he pushed the wet hair out of his face. "God, I'll need a dryer." He then proceeded to wring the water out of his golden locks, but then he noticed it. More like _felt_ it.

He looked to the others and saw that the eyes of his entire class were on him.

"Ah, hello." He greeted trying to ease the uneasy atmosphere.

"You…you…" one boy stuttered unable to complete the sentence.

"You're handsome!" they then screeched in shock.

"Well, I am a ―" he broke off as he felt Kuroko grab his wrist and walked off with Ogiwara following. They hurriedly made their way to the changing rooms, and the two boys then gave Kise their towels to dry off. But, of course, his clothes were still soaked.

After Kuroko and Ogiwara were done, they then accompanied the boy to the nurse, where he got a spare to borrow. Luckily, only the shirt was a little big but it was nothing to worry about.

Lunchtime proceeded like normal, Ogiwara recounting everything that happened in P.E to the others, Masato giving Kise a smug smirk to set off the blond. But nothing happened as Kikuchi and Hoshizumi were already sending out their warnings via the 'emit dark aura' method.

But apart from that, they chatted like usual, teasing Kise about what's going to happen the moment he leaves the clubroom. This got the blond on edge, but Kuroko soothed the blond by rubbing in his back.

"It's going to be fine, Kise-kun," Kuroko said. "You're just over-thinking it."

Kise made a small smile. "Fine."

But, they missed the looks of mischief on their teammates' faces, but Ogiwara was the only one who wore a different expression.

When lunchtime was over and it was time to head back to class, Kise's worse nightmare came true. The female populace swarmed him ―some for his good looks, some for his autograph since they recognized who he was.

And from then on, Kise's life at Meiko was never the same as before.

_xxxx_

In another prefecture, life at Teikou was the usual. Their practices were becoming more and more hectic, due to the fact that the actual Summer Championship was basically upon them. They've had numerous practice matches, all of which they won ―dominated to be exact.

In his 'grief', after practice, Aomine would practice like always before he met Kise and Kuroko, but most times, he'd ask for a one-on-one with a fellow first stringer. He couldn't ask the guys in the second gym as they'd deem that unfair as the difference in their strength is quite obvious.

Aomine would challenge any of the first stringers that he's seen, and go on to crush them. It wasn't that he purposely did that, it was just that once he's started, images of Kise flashed into his mind and he ends up venting out his anger and frustration in the one-on-one match. And before he knew it, the boys would give up, and cease playing.

Whenever they had matches against the second string, while everyone played with seriousness, Aomine played with _too_ much. The moment he received the ball from Akashi, the tanned boy would let loose on the court, although there are times when he would pass the ball to the others, even to Haizaki.

It was during this time that the coach ―Sanada Naoto began noticing Aomine's growth. It wasn't just him; Nijimura and Akashi were both aware of it as well. They didn't think much of it, only viewing it as just him growing. But little did they know that Aomine just wanted something to take his mind off the sessions that he used to have with Kise.

But, the time of the Summer Championship drew near, the regulars were ecstatic about it, however, for Aomine, he was greatly conflicted.

While he was glad that he's going to be playing in the Championship, there was another part of him that was saddened. He wouldn't play against Kise in this championship because their school hadn't made it. He'd have to wait until the Winter Tournament before he'd even have a chance to face the blond. And given Kise's ability, he highly doubts that, as since Meiko hadn't even made it past their leagues (Momoi's info), that could only mean that they don't have the skill.

He sighed. There's no way that Kise, a boy who recently learned how to dribble (Aomine would give him a passing grade but not an excellent one) would make it to the finals to face them. Or rather, make it to the Tournament itself. And that's all the way in January.

Talk about waiting forever.

Aomine was greatly dispirited. But that still didn't stop him. He continued to practice with fervour, continuing to ask around for one-on-ones. He'd play Haizaki sometimes, and in those sometimes, he'd beat the silver-haired teen, prompting him to go improve on what he's lacking.

Aomine would ask Murasakibara but the boy was too lazy to agree. Midorima was out of the question since he was always off by himself shooting and gave off a 'don't come near me when I'm shooting' vibe; Akashi and Nijimura were often time busy, so anyone who he catches would have to suffice. There were also times when after their weekend practice, he'd go to a street court, where he'd encounter other guys and demand a one-on-one or even three-on-one or whatever depending on how many of them are there.

And, like before, no one really paid attention to Aomine. Everyone blew it off as him growing and improving his skills. But sadly, it wasn't just Aomine's skills improving…

…it was the birth of a monster.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	22. Chapter 22

 

 

...

...

 

" _The purpose of training is to tighten up the slack,_

_toughten up the body and polish the spirit."_

_\- Morihei Ueshiba._

 

_..._

_..._

Aomine's time at Teikou continued in such a manner, however, due to his apparent growth, it created some sort of chain reaction to the others. With his competitive spirit, Haizaki had taken practice serious as well. Since Aomine would always drag him off to for a one-on-one, and would crush him horribly, the silver-haired teen would often time storm off to better his skills (or pillage other people's moves).

And seeing how those two were becoming better, it prompted Midorima to improve his shooting. He didn't want to fall behind the two 'dunking monkeys' as he'd call them, after practice, he'd stay behind in the gym and make shots on end. But, one evening, he had a stroke of inspiration which ended with him shooting from the centre-circle. The shot had made its way in, but the teen thought at first, that it was luck.

After, Midorima would continuously practice his newfound ability in the gym after practice.

Murasakibara was the same. Seeing his other teammates, he didn't want to be outdone. In every practice, Murasakibara would try his best to block every shot that came his way.

The chain reaction also reached Akashi. With the growth that he's seen in his teammates, Akashi strove to bring out the best of their abilities as a point guard. He aimed for passes that will suit each of them; this usually was done in the regular practice.

When Nijimura saw this, he was proud that his little brats were improving so well.

And so, the Generation of Miracles was born.

_xxxx_

"I can't believe this." Kise muttered under his breath as he leaned forward in his seat, resting his forehead on the back of the seat before him.

"Can't believe what?" Kuroko asked, looking away from the window.

"Our plans have been ruined!" He said in a loud voice, but only loud enough for those in the seats in front of them ―Ogiwara and Mochida could hear. "I was really looking forward to see Teikou's match today." He said with a pout.

"Oh, that's actually true. I, too, would like to see how they were in their first tournament."

Kise raised an eyebrow. "You didn't the first time?"

"Remember, I met Aomine-kun in the gym _after_ they had won the championship. And I wasn't so patriotic to go watch their match at the venue; after all, it was being broadcasted."

Kise let out a small chuckle. "You are something else."

The two then focused their attention back outside, watching the scenery go by. Currently, they were on a bus that Ishikawa had rented, taking them to the venue for their training camp. Since it was summer holidays, they were free to spend the week (with their parents' consent of course). And when heard about this, Kuroko decided to give the beach training idea to Ishikawa. He knew it would be hell, but at least, he had felt and seen the benefits of it before he travelled back.

"Ne, Kurokocchi," Kise started up again, "looking at this team, do you really think we can beat the miracles come January?" the tone in which the blond used made Kuroko raise an eyebrow. It sounded a bit worrisome, but at the same time, Kuroko could almost feel the hope mixed in there as well.

"Well, to be honest, in terms of talent, the miracles outclass us in every aspect." He then did a double take. "Well, everyone except you."

"Don't be like that. Aominecchi is better than me."

"Don't be like that." Kuroko mocked. "If it were the previous you then I could understand. But the current you…" he trailed off deliberately. "…I don't think I need to continue, right?"

"Hai, hai," Kise succumbed.

"Don't worry, with your guidance, I'm pretty sure that Meiko will emerge on top."

" _My_ guidance? That's rich, coming from the guy who always preached teamwork." Kise said as he bust with laughter. "We guide each other, don't we?"

Kuroko couldn't resist. "I'm loving the kind of person you've become. You should time travel more often."

And the poor blond didn't know whether that was a compliment to his current self or an insult to his past self. But deciding to leave things as they are, they changed their topic to something else, talking about things that boys their age would.

Meanwhile the bus was eerily quiet, as the others were dreading their fate. Once they heard that they'll be having most of their practice on the beach, they knew it isn't something to cheer about. And catching the look on Kikuchi's face at the time, they knew they were in for hell.

The others barely ever spoke, at the front there was Kikuchi and Hoshizumi, seeming to be discussing what they had planned out for them. Behind them was Masato, listening to his music and seeming to tune out the world. Next were Abe and Hayato, the point guard was reading a book, while the bleached blond was playing a game on his phone. Behind those two were Ogiwara and Mochida, who were just sitting idly and around the back were Kise and Kuroko. The other side of the bus had all their luggage.

Soon, they had reached their destination, and even though the beach looked pretty relaxing and fun, everyone present cringed. Remembering the hell he went through, Kuroko got paler than even a ghost.

"Kurokocchi! Are you sick?!" Kise ended up screeching, gaining everyone's attention.

"No, I'm not." He managed to say. "Just looking at the beach reminded me that we're going to be experiencing death repeatedly for one week."

Kise blanched at his phrasing. "That…that's right,"

The others shivered as well.

"Seriously Kuroko," Abe said with a sickly pale face. "You just made me feel a lot worse."

Under Ishikawa's instructions, they then headed to the Guesthouse to settle down. They all weren't in the same room, but instead they were split into two groups ―Kikuchi, Hoshizumi, Ogiwara and Mochida were in one; Abe, Masato, Hayato, Kise and Kuroko were in the other. Ishikawa had a room for himself.

After they had set up their futons, which turned out to be a war over who should sleep under the window and in the corner and such, they changed their clothing and headed out onto the beach. They jogged their way there, which wasn't so bad, since the pace was relatively slow. However, Kise and Kuroko lagged behind the group since they had carried their weights along.

Add to that, these weights were not their usual as they had gotten used to those. They had gotten newer (and heavier) ones, in order to increase their speed and leg strength simultaneously.

By the time they had reached on the beach, Ishikawa was already there greeting them with a devious smile. Looking at the three cones which stood tall on the sand, the boys blanched. Kise had never experienced this, but when Kuroko had recalled his experience, he felt like crying.

"Alright, listen up." Ishikawa started. "As you can see, we'll be sprinting here in the sand. But what you don't know is that the meaning of this training is to tighten up your saggy legs."

"Saggy?" Abe asked in a whisper. It was clear that he was confused. He then turned to Hayato while feeling his thighs, "Yato, are my ―?"

"Don't even," Hayato cut off before he could finish, his voice laced with disgust. He knew what the boy was coming with. The others broke out in snickers.

"Training in the sand improves your speed and agility due to the resistance it creates on your muscles. Thus, after this training, you rascals should be faster and more explosive."

"Sprinting in the sand?" Masato asked as he tapped the ground with his foot. "My legs are going to fall off. By the time we're done, we won't have any legs to use!"

"Masato, I suggest you stop complaining." Kikuchi said. "Or do you want to do laps here?"

"No sir!"

"Good, now get into pairs." Ishikawa said. They then lined up behind each other.

After Ishikawa blew the whistle, the first two ―Abe and Hayato, sprinted to the first cone. When they reached, they then slowed down towards the second cone with small chopping steps. Arriving at the second cone, they then made a sprint once again to the third cone.

Ishikawa then blew his whistle yet again, the second pair ―Kise and Ogiwara took off. It was a savage war between the two, but Kise was the one who made it to the first cone first. Without even waiting on Ogiwara, he then jogged to the second cone after which he sprinted to the third. When he had reached, he made a sly grin to Ogiwara which set the brunet on edge.

"I'll beat you next time!"

"Let's see you try." Kise teased.

And so, the other pairs followed suit, Hoshizumi and Mochida, Kuroko, Masato and Kikuchi were the only trio.

They did that exercise for about three more times, after which they had a little break. The boys hydrated themselves, but everyone felt as though they really were dying. But Ogiwara felt the blunt of it. With his competitive spirit, and his partner being Kise, he'd always put out the maximum output.

The next exercise that they did was the shuffle, turn and sprint drills. Once again, they worked in pairs, each were to shuffle right to the first cone, then pivot on their left foot to turn their bodies towards the next cone. After that, they sprinted to the third cone then perform the drill in the opposite coming back to Ishikawa.

And once again, it turned into a war especially between Kise and Ogiwara. Everyone knew that they had had some sort of rivalry from what seemed even before Kise attended Meiko, so no one really paid attention to them. But, seeing how these boys were putting out (too much) effort, it incited the others as well. Abe and Hayato would strive to prove that their duo was the best; Masato, Kikuchi and Kuroko would do the same. Within no time, however, they had completely exhausted themselves, Ishikawa only stood and laughed at their misery.

"Alright, take a break, boys."

"We're saved!" Masato said as he collapsed onto the sand. "I think I'm paralyzed!"

"No you aren't Masato," Hayato said. "You're just being extra."

"Hayato, can't you take your brother's side for once?" he whined.

"No way, that'll be betraying my people."

"That's right, _Yatogami-sama,_ " Hoshizumi joined in with a teasing tone. The others looked at them and laughed while hydrating themselves in the meantime. Ishikawa looked at his clipboard where he had recorded their times. Overall, Kise was the fastest, Ogiwara was second (due to him always trying to catch the blond) Kuroko coming in third. But checking their endurance, Kise was the best, followed by Mochida and Hoshizumi and Kuroko. The others were average.

"Hmm, those Teikou boys," Ishikawa then murmured to himself. After a couple more minutes, their break was over and they repeated their drills from the top. They groaned and whined, Kikuchi was the one who had to whip them back into shape. He was feeling it in his legs as well, but he never complained. Since he wants to achieve something, it makes no sense one complains.

The time then ran off, and it was time to return to the guesthouse. They jogged back to the place, well, it was more like crawling. In this aspect, Kise and Kuroko were in the lead, being that they were used to jogging from their morning exercises.

Upon reaching their destination, they then headed straight to the baths, in order to ease their aching legs. But, once again that turned into something vicious. Minus Kise and Kuroko, everyone wanted to go in first, so they ended up fighting and quarrelling. It was during this chaos that the former Teikou boys had slipped in without the others knowing before it was too late.

_xxxx_

The days went by, Ishikawa and Kikuchi working the boys almost to death. Their morning training consisted of the drills that they did on the first day, and after they were done with that, they had their break. Then, they would jog to the gym after which they would have a mini-match against each other, but when Ishikawa wanted to assess their individual skills, he made them play one-on-one.

And of course, Kise and Ogiwara somehow managed to face each other. But, the result was still the same. Kise's overwhelming victory. But Ogiwara never gave up; the brunet was constantly swearing revenge. However, usually after their training was done, Kise would have a session with the boy, teaching him and helping him to fix what needs fixing. The blond would include Masato as well, sometimes Mochida. Kuroko would usually drag off Abe elsewhere, Hayato following them as well.

As for Kikuchi, he'd supervise them and make notes for Ishikawa to see.

By the time it had reached Wednesday, Ishikawa started to see improvements in his little rascals. After being given the notes by Kikuchi, Ishikawa tweaked their regimen a bit to make them more efficient. He even allowed the boys to voice their opinions about their training.

But that day, after they returned from their training and had taken a bath, they assembled in the living room and turned on the TV, hoping to relax. Masato and Hayato were fighting over the remote, so Kikuchi had taken it and switch it to a random channel. There, they got the shock of their lives. It was the semi-final of the Summer Championship, Teikou versus Kamata. The match was already in the fourth quarter but the scoreboard made the boys of Meiko nearly faint.

_Teikou:102 – Kamata:45_

Add to that, when they saw how Aomine and Haizaki basically demolished their defenders, Murasakibara staying under the net and blocking every shot with a bored gaze; Akashi as well, the way he moved, Kise and Kuroko started breaking out in cold sweat. But the one who seemed to appall the others was Midorima. The green-haired teen was shooting from the centre line. They couldn't tell the look on his face since the camera hadn't zoomed that far in.

"What? How is that possible?!" Kise couldn't restrain himself. "He shouldn't be able to do that!" he then turned to Kuroko. "We're still in first year, right?" Kuroko nodded rather vigorously. "Then how the hell is he able to do that?!"

"Kise, calm down." Kikuchi said, but it was clear that there was shock and worry in his voice. As a matter of fact, everyone had looks of despondency. Then suddenly, the TV blacked out.

"Don't lose hope, now." Ishikawa said, he was the one who turned it off. He had wanted to carry them to see the final match in person, but seeing their faces now, he reckoned that that would be a disastrous idea.

"But, Coach, did you see that?" Masato asked. "I'm no match for that tanned one! Or the silver haired one! I'll be slaughtered!"

"Have you seen that absurd range from their shooting guard?!" Hoshizumi joined in. "He can shoot from the centre. The _centre!"_

"I think you all are glossing over something very important." Mochida said. "There's a freaking giant guarding the net _all the time_! How will we get pass _that?!"_

Ishikawa was at a loss, currently. Seeing Teikou's match had really woken them up to a new reality. They knew they weren't the best but they strived to improve what they lacked. But that, that was something Ishikawa knew they knew they couldn't match.

Amidst all this, Hayato had gotten up and headed out, without even a word to anyone other than Ishikawa.

"Kurokocchi, is this my fault?" Kise then whispered. "I mean, aren't they supposed to be like that in second year?"

"Yes." Kuroko replied. "But what could have caused it? I don't think that their abilities just suddenly blossomed because you joined the club early. If you look at the events that happened so far, everything that was sped up had a reason behind it."

"Take your minds off this for now," Ishikawa then announced. "Get ready for dinner."

"Hai." The boys then drawled. When he closed the door, Ishikawa knew that he had some serious work to do.

_xxxx_

Hayato dribbled the ball alone in the gym as he headed towards the centre circle. There, he stopped and attempted to shoot. However, he failed horribly. The ball got nowhere near the net, as a matter of fact; it didn't even have enough height. But, the blond was determined not to give up.

Seeing that Teikou match really struck something within him, and now, he's practicing his ass off. But of course, he couldn't let the others know. They'd try to find out his reason, and if Abe should see him, he knew he wouldn't be able to escape.

But what he didn't know was that he wasn't the only one who had headed to the gym for practice. There, at the door, Kise and Kuroko stood watching the blond trying and failing at Midorima's centre shot.

"What is he doing?!" Kise whispered in shock. "Why is he attempting to shoot from the centre-circle?"

"How should I know?" Kuroko replied. But, to find out, the light-blue haired teen then headed towards the boy, and asked, "Hayato-kun, what are you doing?"

Not seeing when the boy had arrived, the blond let out a screech, the ball rolling away. "Kuroko! Can't you appear normally?! Shit!"

"I did." He responded. Kise then joined the two and that's when everything went downhill. "Why were you trying to shoot from the centre-circle?"

Hayato stiffened. "No reason,"

"Come on, there must be a reason for you to attempt that crazy stunt." Kise said, shaking his head. "This is not like you at all."

"It's not a crazy stunt! So what if I tried to shoot from the centre?! What's wrong with that?"

"But Hayato, you _can't_. You're normal, if every normal guy could shoot from there, then basketball would probably have a five-point shot."

"I see. I guess I'm still not good enough then." He murmured with his head hung low. But Kise and Kuroko heard and wondered what he was talking about. But before any of the time travellers could say anything, Hayato stormed out of the gym, with a strange aura about him.

But as he opened the door, he saw Abe who had come looking for him. But, wordlessly, he shoved aside the point guard and left. The brunet stared at Hayato until he could see him no longer. But when he looked in the gym and saw Kise and Kuroko, he knew they had the answers. After all, the face that Hayato made was making his brain send off alert signals.

"What did you do?!" Abe then asked the two boys.

"Nothing, we saw him practicing to shoot from the centre-circle and we asked. I then told him that he can't because if normal guys could then we'd probably have a five-point shot in the sport."

Abe's eyes widened with shock. "You said _what?!_ Are you an idiot?!"

"Eh? Am I missing something here?"

Abe sighed heavily. "No one knows this but, Yato has an inferiority complex."

There was silence.

"What the fu―hell?" Kise asked. "How the hell does _Hayato_ , the one who's always going around saying that he's the ' _Great Yatogami of the Land of Meiko_ ' who ' _vanquishes evil spirits and purify lands_ ' and all that shit have an _inferiority complex?!"_

Abe sighed once again. "His 'Yatogami' personality is actually a façade to hide his feelings of inadequacy. He isn't like me, who just don't want anyone to be better. He _genuinely_ feels inadequate to anyone with the same skill."

"Eh?!" Kise and Kuroko couldn't believe their ears.

"Ever since he was little, he was always being compared to Masato. The bastard was always good at sports. Since their older brothers played volleyball, that was the sport that they got into first. But Masato was good at spiking and receiving, while Yato could barely even block. And so, Yato was constantly being compared to Masato."

"Then, how did he get into basketball, much less develop his Yatogami persona?" Kuroko asked.

Abe chuckled. "I always loved basketball, so when I saw his plight, I decided to let him try out basketball. I thought that it would be better since they won't be playing in the same sport, and he ended up finding his strength in shooting threes. But, Masato wanted to try out basketball too. But Masato couldn't shoot threes like Yato can, but he could get around defenders and such. In regards to his Yatogami persona, I'm actually the cause of it."

"How?!"

"Well, Masato was getting better and better, he stood out more since he had to get around defenders and dribble and all that. So I decided to tell him that he's the greatest because while Masato's attacks consist of two points, his are three. That and, Masato can't shoot like he can. Since I call him Yato, I decided to call him 'Yatogami'."

"Seriously?" Kise asked.

"Do you think I have the time to make up some elaborate joke such as this?" Abe snapped. But then, he returned to normal. "But anyway, don't tell anyone else, not even Masato. Yato will kill me, and well, Masato might kill himself, so keep your mouths shut."

"Masato will kill himself? Why?" Kuroko then asked. He didn't like where this was going.

"Despite how they behave, they actually love each other. So if Masato finds out that Yato has an inferiority complex and he's the cause of it, he'll drown in guilt until he dies. And if that happens, Yato will feel even worse."

Neither Kise nor Kuroko could say a word. They had always found it odd that Hayato was always referring to himself as a god, but they never would have imagined the reason behind it would have been so deep. And, it all made sense to them why Abe was always playing along, calling himself the 'Shinto Priest'.

"Do you know where he might have run off to?" Kise then asked.

"Nope, Yato is as unpredictable as rain." Abe said as he shook his head. "You'll have to wait until dinnertime."

"I won't." Kise said.

"Then let's go, Kise-kun." Kuroko as he moved off. The blond followed behind him and the two then exited from the gym, leaving a stunned Abe. The first thing they did was check back at the guesthouse to see if he had returned. In order not to worry the others, they had asked if they seen Hayato, but the response was negative.

The next place they checked was the beach. There aren't many places that he could go, so the next likeliest place is the beach. And as luck would have it, they spotted the boy on his fours in the sand.

"Hayato!" Kise shouted as he made a dash towards the other blond. When he saw them coming towards him, his face turned into rage.

"Stay away!" he shouted.

"As if!" Kise then tackled the boy to the ground, Kuroko stood beside them.

"Hayato-kun, Kise-kun just needs to talk. There's no need to worry."

"I don't want to talk to the likes of him!"

"Hayato, I'm sorry if I had hurt your feelings. But I need you to listen."

"How can I when you're sitting in my back?!"

"Of course you can. I'm not sitting on your ears, right?" But, not wanting to provoke the bleached blond, Kise then got up and released the shooting guard. When Hayato was on his feet, he shot a glare at Kise but the blond was totally unaffected by it.

"So, what do you want?" He snarled. "I was busy, you know."

_Busy crying?_ Kise thought. It was clear that he was. "First, I'm sorry." Kise started. "Secondly, you can't shoot like Midorima. Ever. As a matter of fact, why do you want to shoot like him anyway?"

"It's none of your business!"

"It is, you idiot! Aren't we on the same team?!"

"No we're not! You weren't with us from the start! You were originally from that demon team! Do you have any idea of seeing your hopes and dreams dashed before your eyes because you weren't strong enough?! _Huh_?!"

Kise and Kuroko looked at each other. "Of course," they both responded as if were a natural thing to do.

"At one time, my team's score was tripled." Kuroko said. "And I was useless in that entire match. Just remembering it makes my heart and soul shatter."

"I was my team's last chance and I blew it." Kise said. "Trust us; we do know how you feel."

Hayato looked away. "I just wanted to be better, that's all." He then said in a small voice.

Kuroko sighed; Kise dragged a hand over his face. "But you _can't_! Why are you trying to imitate Midorima?! Aren't you Kaneshiro Hayato?"

"What are you ―?!" Hayato broke off as he felt an immense pain in his abdomen. He glared at Kise who had punched him.

"Listen; there are many ways to be dangerous on the court. It isn't limited to shooting from an absurd range." Hayato couldn't retort due to the pain that he was in. "Let's go," with that Kise grabbed the boy by the wrist and dragged him off to the gym. He then realized that the punch was to make him weak so that Kise could bring him wherever he intended.

The boys then made their way back to the gym, after which Kise and Kuroko got into position.

"Now that we're here, let me show you something." Kise said. He then went to the three point line with Hayato in a defensive position. Kuroko then passed the ball to him, and using a copy of Sakurai's quick release, within a blink, Kise was already shooting, Hayato unable to defend.

"What was that?!"

Wordlessly, Kise then walked to the centre-circle, once again, Kuroko passed the ball to him but this time, he used a copy of Midorima. With bent knees, he then straightened up after which he shot the ball. With a perfect height and distance just like the original, the ball went into the hoop smoothly.

"What do you notice?" Kuroko then asked Hayato.

"You can actually shoot from the centre-circle. What kind of monster are you?"

Kuroko sighed when he heard this. As a matter of fact, he was close to thinking that he was a lost cause in this state.

"It takes a longer time to wind up into shooting form." Kise said. "When I was at the outside, you noticed that my release was fast wasn't it? But here, it takes about ten seconds right?" He was exaggerating here.

Hayato nodded.

"That's what I'm trying to show you. Shooting from the centre means that you'll have to take a longer time which would mean that defenders will be able to block you. But at the outside, defenders won't." he then smirked. "See what I mean, you don't have to be 'Midorima Shintarou' to be dangerous."

Hayato looked despondent. "But I…" he trailed off.

"Please, Yatogami-sama," Kuroko started. "Receive this offering from mere mortals such as ourselves." But of course, this was in his usual deadpan tone.

"Hmph, that goes without saying." Hayato reverted to 'Yatogami'. "After all, you are my precious believers."

"Good, but that'll have to wait until after dinner or tomorrow, though. I'm starving." Kuroko said as he walked towards the exit.

"Oh, right." Kise fell into step with the light-blue haired teen, leaving Hayato alone in the gym. But, with a light chuckle, he moved off as well, somewhat eager to see what he and Kise will do come tomorrow.

"Ah shit, we have the demonic training first, don't we?"

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	23. Chapter 23

 

 

 

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" _To be successful, you have to dedicate yourself_

_100% to your training, diet and mental approach."_

Arnold Schwarzenegger

 

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The remaining days of the training camp carried on, however, in the boys' eyes, they felt as though they had descended into hell unknowingly. In the cool early mornings, they'd have to jog with Kise and Kuroko, with weights on. But the hell didn't stop there. In addition to the jogging, they had to do sprints on the sand. It felt as though they were trying to move through thick sludge, and many times they broke out in tears.

Ogiwara and Masato cried and wailed like babies many times over, begging for mercy. Hayato and Abe were convinced that the two transfers were possessed by evil, but nonetheless, they went through the training swearing to the others that they'll vanquish whatever it is that possessed the two boys.

Kikuchi and Mochida were the only ones who didn't say anything, but they had the most tears streaming down their cheeks. Hoshizumi tried to keep them in high spirits which everyone ignored completely.

After their morning jog, they'd return to the guesthouse in time for breakfast. They'd freshen up first, taking long soaks in the baths after which they'd enter the dining area. Ishikawa was the one who made all their meals, packed with the right amount of nutrients that they need. The boys would chow down mercilessly, delighted that the quantity and quality of their meals are all top notch. But sadly for Kuroko, with enough coaxing and persuasion from Kise, there were days when he'd manage to finish his plate.

But apart from that, they were usually their bright and chirpy selves, heated arguments between Kise and Ogiwara, Abe and Hayato throwing insults at each other like always, Hoshizumi and Kikuchi flinging out threats to get the others to calm down; Mochida, Kuroko and Masato just sitting and watching it all go down with amusement. Ishikawa smiled at how they were being their usual selves, but sadly, the man was ignorant of their morning sessions.

After breakfast, they would head back out to the beach for Ishikawa's training, which, sadly, could be the closest experience to being in hell. In essence, they had to do twice the training from the earlier days, with the addition of something new. They had to do 'T-Sprints', in which they had to be dashing to the left, right and then backwards in a 'T'.

After that, they had to do the 'One foot side to side' exercise, in which on one foot, they had to hop to the left and right. The purpose of these exercises is to improve the strength in their ankles and legs but more so, to improve their flexibility and agility. In the sport, Ishikawa knew that they'll need it.

After they went through their rigorous day training, before dinner time, Kise and Kuroko would haul them back out to the gym. For a couple minutes, Kise would spend time with Hayato, teaching him how to do a quick release. Even though he always demonstrated Sakurai's shot, he made sure to make Hayato develop it to his comfort.

Sometimes, Hoshizumi would tag along, but unlike Hayato, he was never able to get it. But, that would lead him to develop his own style (with Kise's supervision of course).

When Kise was done with Hayato and Hoshizumi, he'd leave the boys to practice and move onto Masato and Kikuchi. Since they played the same position, he thought it'll be easier to just instruct them both at once. Kise knew that Aomine and Haizaki were weighing on their minds, so just like what he did with Hayato, he briefed them on what could be a possible weakness.

"How can monsters like those have weaknesses?" Masato had asked.

"Because they are thirteen year olds like us." Kise had grinned at them. "Look, it could be said that Aomine doesn't have a weakness, but he's liable to make mistakes given that we implement the right strategy. In terms of Haizaki, what he does is steals people's moves. So what you should do is think about how you can stop yourself."

"What the hell are Teikou? Do they have superpowers or something that we don't know about?" Kikuchi sighed.

"It seems like it." Masato nodded his agreement. "I mean, the ability to steal people's moves? That's pretty savage."

"I know! Seriously, I'd like to know what's in their genes and why I wasn't blessed with some as well."

"In this world, all men aren't created equal."

"Quoting from an anime aren't you?" Kikuchi sighed in amusement at the raven-haired teen.

"You know me too well." Masato smirked.

Listening to their comments, Kise nearly bust with laughter. Lately, he's found that he's taken a liking to this team and not only that, he realized that somehow, he likes them more than how he liked Teikou. Sure, he's had lots of fun times in his previous life, but this…he was feeling something more than what he felt in Teikou.

"I really like this team." He mumbled to himself. "They're quite fun."

"What was that, Kise?" Masato asked.

"Nothing, nothing." He quickly dismissed.

"So, enough of this useless chatter," Kikuchi then said, "It's time we get some things done. January is like five months away."

"Why are we slaving out now? Isn't five months a long way from now?" Masato whispered to Kise, but Kikuchi heard anyway.

"Don't underestimate time, you fool." He spat. "Plus, we have the qualifiers later this year. There is no time to slack off."

And just like that, the three boys got into their positions, Kise being the one who instructs them. For this session, he played _a little_ like Aomine, which stunned them into shock. Even though they had no idea that he was copying the tanned ace, they had yet to see Kise play like _that_.

On the other side of the gym, Abe and Kuroko were busy with the passing, but this time, they decide to involve the others as well. Abe would test out the passing on Hayato, who would in turn try to use the quick release. Mochida and Hoshizumi would both try to block him, sometimes ending in failure, sometimes ending in success.

But after they were done with everyone else, Kise would haul Ogiwara and work him like a mule. For some reason, the blond felt as though the brunet had potential, after all, in their previous life, Ogiwara was Meiko's ace.

However, their sessions _always_ started off with them quarrelling, the others often time teasing them that they're like some old married couple. Of course, this would set Kise off. Usually, Kuroko would have to be the one to get them back on track. Everyone was always too tired to even move.

After their sessions, they'd head to bed in hopes of catching enough sleep for the next day.

The boys continued like this, but in between the little breaks that they got, the Meiko boys (minus Kise and Kuroko) would somehow huddle up to discuss what Kise and Kuroko's names would be. It was a proving to be a tedious task for those boys, and at one point, they were starting to just throw out ideas.

"Kise should be 'Transcendental Deity'." Hayato had said. "I mean, he managed to get those boys from Morino to bow before him on the court!"

"Are you crazy?!" Hoshizumi asked. "No one has the time to say 'Transcen ―" he broke off abruptly. "See! I nearly bit my tongue there!"

"I say 'Ominous Black Spirit'!" Ogiwara had suggested.

"Apparently, you weren't listening to Hoshizumi-senpai." Kikuchi said with a nasty look on his face. "No one has the time to call him that! It's too long!"

"But it fits him just right! I've seen it!" the brunet protested. "Trust me, just get _really_ close to Kuroko and you'll see him transform."

"Ano," Abe joined in. "Can't we just leave him as 'Kise'? Though I think Kuroko would be Phantom or Ninja."

"That's true." They all nodded in agreement. However, after that, they didn't press the issue; after all, they had the hellish training to go through.

But apart from that, Kise and Kuroko found time for themselves as well. In the morning, they'd get up earlier than everyone else and head out to jog like they'd used to. Upon reaching the beach, they'd do their push-ups and sit-ups and a little of Ishikawa's training.

By the time they'd head back to the guesthouse they were beat, but after a soak in the bath, they'd be back to normal.

And just like that, the remaining days of the training camp came to an end.

_xxxx_

It was finally the end of the training camp. The boys rejoiced like there was no tomorrow, but as soon as they started, Ishikawa destroyed their mood completely.

"It's too early to rejoice, you rascals." He said with a sly smirk. "This was just the tip of the iceberg."

"Just the tip…?" Hayato blanched. "Coach…you can't possibly mean…?"

"Oh yes," Ishikawa grinned. "You'll be having practice matches. After all, I want to see how well you'll utilize the training to your advantage. Plus, you still have more training to do."

"NO!" The boys (minus Kise, Kuroko and Hoshizumi) wailed out in agony; Masato gripped his hair in distress as he collapsed to the floor.

"And knowing Coach, he'll arrange matches with some of the best schools to get our asses slaughtered." Hoshizumi chuckled. "We'll die once again."

"Captain! This is nothing to laugh about!" Ogiwara shrieked. "You just said it! We'll die!" he then broke out in tears. "We'll die." He then whimpered.

"But Ogiwaracchi, we need to die first before we are reborn, right?" Kise smiled.

"Shut up, you monster!" the brunet shouted, the tears were still streaming down his cheeks. "You have no say in this! And don't call me Ogiwaracchi!"

"Ogiwara-kun, you need to calm down. Kise-kun is right." Kuroko tried to soothe. "It'll all be worth it."

"Says the monsters that were originally from Teikou…" Mochida joined in. "You know, that's not very reassuring."

Kise let out a gasp. "Kurokocchi and I aren't monsters! We're just like you guys!"

The Meiko boys gave the blond an incredulous look. Instantly, Kise knew what the look meant. After that training camp, it'll be natural that their teammates don't see them like they did before.

"All right boys!" Ishikawa then intervened. "No one is a monster, and no one will die. It's just some practice matches."

"Coach, that's not reassuring at all." Hoshizumi sighed.

"It's time to leave, let's go." Ishikawa said as he walked away from the energetic group. The boys followed behind him and boarded their bus.

The drive was peaceful; the boys were too tired to even keep up their conversations from earlier. They were still in the same seating arrangements from before, Kise and Kuroko were seated around the back. But, not before long, the boys drifted off into sleep.

Still, Kuroko was still looking through the window. Kise had long fallen asleep, but throughout the ride there were hiccups and bumps in the road, which caused the blond's head to lean onto Kuroko's shoulder.

Seeing that Kise may end up getting neck pains if left alone, Kuroko then adjusted the blond by placing Kise's head in his lap. Looking at the sleeping blond, subconsciously, he then stroked the blond's soft hair.

Remembering all that they've been through, Kuroko made a chuckle. If it were his previous life, there was no way Kise would have been sleeping in his lap right now. After all, Aomine would have been the one to sit beside him, Kise would probably be behind them whining and crying about unfair life was to him. But now, he and Aomine will never get the chance to be partners, since this time around, they aren't even at the same school anymore.

Kuroko's mind then wandered on the events that have been happening so far. The most frightening one would definitely be the fact the Miracles' abilities have all blossomed already. It was just summer of their _first year._ Previously, Aomine was the one who started in Winter, until by the time they were in the middle of their second year (Kise had joined by then), the other's started to bloom as well.

Kuroko couldn't even begin to think how strong they'll be by the time January comes around. Add to that, if everything should go like the previous life, Nijimura would still be there. And _he's_ not to be taken lightly. Just thinking about it made Kuroko almost break out in cold sweat…their future encounter with Teikou seems bleak already.

But then again, _anything_ could happen on the court. And if indeed the Miracles turn out to be monsters both skills wise and personality wise, then that's probably where Meiko will be able to secure the victory. After all, a team not playing like a team is bound to be full of holes.

"I just hope that it turns out that way." He selfishly sighed. "Teamwork is the only way I see us beating them."

As he continued to stroke Kise's hair, the blond let out a sound that almost made Kuroko laugh out. But seeing the blond, Kuroko's heart warmed. He was especially proud of Kise, seeing how far he came both as a player and a person. The blond has been working hard these days, not only to improve himself, but his teammates as well. Even though, Kuroko could see that there's a blatant difference in how he trains Ogiwara than the others. In his eyes, Kise seems to be slaving out Ogiwara while the others are just trained hard.

"I can always ask him the reason behind it when he wakes up." Kuroko then murmured.

"Hmm? Ask me what?" Kise asked, cracking one eye open. "Your lap is really comfortable, Kurokocchi. I could stay like this forever."

Kuroko twitched. Kise's face didn't look like someone who had just woken up from sleeping.

"Kise-kun, you've been awake for a while now, haven't you?"

The blond let out a chuckle. "How could you tell?"

"I see." After that, Kuroko gave Kise a vicious jab in his side, causing him to scream out in agony. He rolled out of the blunet's lap and onto the floor, assuming a foetal position.

Ishikawa had even stopped driving upon hearing the scream, wondering if one of the boys were somehow injured. Even the others were woken up from their slumber.

"It's nothing to worry about," Kuroko said. "Kise-kun just had a nightmare."

"Next time, don't scare me like that," Ishikawa sighed. "I'm not the type who can handle the rage of doting parents."

Meanwhile, Kise felt like his sides were being drilled out. The lingering pain was unbelievable.

"Kuro…kocchi…" he managed to wheeze out. "How…could…you…? I…thought we were…partners…"

"Ogiwara-kun, do you think we could go get some popsicles when we return?" Kuroko said as he blatantly ignored Kise.

"Sure! I know the right place!" the brunet perked, catching onto Kuroko's idea. Kise gave up and slowly crawled back into the seat. He made a mental note to himself that Kuroko's jabs seem to have different intensity levels.

"I need to make sure he keeps the intensity at level one." He whined to himself.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	24. Chapter 24

 

 

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" _Time is a valuable thing, watch it fly by_

_as the pendulum swings."_

\- Linkin Park ' _In The End_ '

 

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For the entire summer break after the camp, Meiko had a series of practice matches with schools that were all of high calibres. And just like Hoshizumi had said, they were indeed slaughtered, not because they weren't strong enough, but it was because they lacked the experience. Ishikawa knew this, hence why he organized these matches. While Hoshizumi still had the most experience on the team (minus Kise and Kuroko), it still wasn't enough when the other teams played with their third years.

However, in the matches where Kise and Kuroko played, Ishikawa saw a different team so to speak. Kuroko coordinates well with everyone, but with Kise he was frightening. And due to this, Ishikawa realized that they made their shots faster. But what he also realized was that the two transfers seemed to instruct the others well. He didn't know whether or not they had some idea of being point guards, but they did one hell of a job, Abe included.

Meiko ended up winning _those_ matches, but that only solidified their monstrosity. Masato and Hayato were convinced that Kise must've been in the wrong string at the wrong time because there was absolutely no way a third stringer could play like that in a matter of months. While on the other hand, the others thought that maybe he was just a genius late bloomer.

But either way, Kise was frightening…and it was just the tip of the iceberg.

Kuroko was his usual invisible self, passing and stealing the ball with extreme precision. It irked Abe that the boy was actually better than him in this aspect, but he's learning to come to terms with it. Thus, he and Kuroko would always be the ones to get the ball around to the others which many could deem to be impeccable.

But overall, the boys of Meiko have made huge improvements from their training camp, even though Kikuchi would argue that the changes began ever since Kise and Kuroko had transferred.

When school had reopened, Ishikawa was relentless with the boys' training but one thing he was glad for, the rascals accepted their training like men. Their whines and complaints would come _after_ , but _during_ they were usually as quiet as lambs. But comparing their abilities now to the time before Kise and Kuroko transferred, he's noticed that their skills had improved heaps and bounds.

"I really can see them making it to the Winter Tournament." He smiled to himself as he watched them jog around the field.

It was coming down to crunch time, as the Winter Qualifiers were right around the corner. Since they hadn't made it to the Summer Tournament, they'd have to work their way through the preliminaries to be able to make it to the Tournament in January.

_xxxx_

"I'm sore." Ogiwara drawled while lying on the floor.

"Aren't we all?" Hoshizumi commented. "Coach and Kikumo have been really at it ever since we came back from the camp. What's wrong with them?" he then sighed.

"Blame Kise and Kuroko." Masato hissed ― er ― tried to. He ended up groaning in agony. "I mean how are they thirteen and are able to make such brutal regimens?! Hayato and I showed it to our brothers and they said that they do that in high school! _High school!_ " he ended up shrieking the last part.

"Well maybe they are high schoolers stuck in the bodies of their thirteen year old selves." Mochida joined. But then he got awkward looks from everyone there. "What? I read a manga with a time-travelling plot like that before."

"Hate to break it to you," Hayato started. "But we don't live in a manga."

"If we did, then Teikou wouldn't be the only ones with superpowers." Abe joked.

And just like that, the gym descended into silence. Ishikawa had decided to give them a five-minute break from practice so they had all huddled up at the foot of the stage rehydrating themselves. However, three people didn't join them ― Kikuchi, Kise and Kuroko. Kikuchi was by the sidelines with Ishikawa, and in the boys' eyes, the coach and the manager looked as though they were cooking up another way to kill them off.

While Kise and Kuroko were closer to the storage closet, the two were behaving suspicious, and this caught their teammates' eyes.

"What do you think they're talking about?" Masato asked.

"I don't know," Hayato replied. "But judging by Kise's facial expression, it isn't anything dangerous. I hope."

"Ne, is it just me, or does it seem like Kise's a bit clingy to Kuroko?" Mochida asked when he saw the blond embracing Kuroko for far too long. "I mean, when they first arrived, I thought they were really good friends, but…"

"The blond's extremely attached to Kuroko." Hoshizumi said.

Ogiwara nodded vigorously. "That's why I insist that we call him 'Ominous Black Spirit'. I'm the childhood friend and when I tried to hug Kuroko, threatening black aura seeps out of Kise's body in waves!"

"I suggest you stop." Abe sighed. "I mean, we all know you hate him. But ―"

"Then you go try and prove it for yourself!" the brunet retorted. "I know what I saw!"

The other five boys looked at each other before nodding. "Alright, I'm up for the challenge." Abe smirked as he got up and stretched. "What should I do?"

"Get really close to Kuroko." Ogiwara replied vaguely.

"Yosh!" Abe skipped over to where the duo was, and upon reaching Kuroko, he threw an arm over the smaller teen. Seeing this action, Kise twitched with annoyance, but he soon calmed down since it was _Abe_. The point guard had made it blatantly clear that he doesn't like the blue-haired teen.

"What's up _sensei?"_ He asked in a playful manner.

"Abe-kun, what do you want?" Kuroko asked.

Abe stopped. Upon seeing an irritated look on Kise's face, he lost all his energy to do what Ogiwara said would have triggered the 'ominous black spirit'. It seems that he had interrupted their conversation and the blond was somewhat upset. With a sigh, he then took a step back before saying,

"Uh, I was just wondering…" he trailed off, placing a hand behind him. Then, he signalled to Hayato.

Knowing what the signal meant, Hayato then stood up and called out, "Haru! C'mere, I need to ask you something!"

"Ah! Sorry, I got to go!" With that, the point guard dashed back to the stage, leaving the two transfers confused. As he arrived back to the group, he was attacked by Ogiwara.

"What was that?! A regular person won't be moved by a simple arm over shoulder!"

"What do you mean?! It happens in manga all the time!"

"It's an act of friendship! And this is reality! What's up with you and manga references?!" Hoshizumi shouted glancing in Mochida's direction as well. The centre shrugged his shoulders. He then sighed.

"I'll show you foolish mortals how it's done." Hayato smirked. He then raked a hand through his bleached blond hair. "Note to self, never send a mortal to do a god's job." He purposely said that out loud so that the others could hear. But they weren't in the least angered by it; after all, this was _Hayato._ The shooting guard then strolled over to the two and due to the nature of their conversation, Kuroko didn't see when Hayato came up behind him, Kise didn't realize either since his eyes was locked onto the bluenet.

"Kuroko…" Hayato said as he gave the boy a gentle hug from behind. It startled Kuroko and immediately he managed to worm out of the boy's embrace.

"Hayato-kun, what are you doing?" there was an alarming tone in his voice.

"It's just a hug ―" before he could finish, he was tackled by Kise. One moment he was fine, the next, he felt coarseness of a sneaker crashing into his face…and staying there. When he had come to, he realized that Kise was stepping in his face. The others had rushed towards the three.

"Yato!" Abe shrieked.

By this time, Kise had removed his foot, but he was seething with rage. And just like Ogiwara described, there was a black aura emitting from his body. He looked at Hayato with a gaze that it left the Yatogami petrified.

"How dare you…" Kise started.

"Th-there it is." Ogiwara said to the others. "The Black Spirit."

"What?! I was just giving him a hug!" Hayato countered Kise.

"Like that?! From behind?!" Kise spat. His face then darkened. " _You can't do that Yatogami-sama._ " he practically snarled.

The other boys stiffened upon hearing that. Even Hoshizumi was afraid from just seeing the blond's face. Masato was by his brother's side, shaking him out his petrifaction.

"Hayato! Hayato! Keep it together!" he pleaded. When his brother didn't budge, he glared at Kise. "You son of a bitch!"

"That's my mother you're classing there!" Kise said. "You're the son of a bitch, you bastard!"

"Hah?!" Masato roared. "You stepped into my brother's face! I'll kill you!"

"Your _brother_ touched my Kurokocchi! And _you_ called my mother a bitch! I'll kill _both_ of you!"

With the boys in such a heated argument, the others slowly moved away from the scene before it gets nasty. From the first day Kise transferred, they had found out that the blond knew martial arts. So too does Masato. Yes, it could get quite nasty.

"I see someone has too much energy."

Everyone stopped in their tracks. Turning in the direction of the voice, they saw that it was none other than their Coach Ishikawa and dreaded Feudal Lord Kikuchi. Instantly, they paled.

"I have the perfect remedy for you rascals to expend all that pent-up energy." Ishikawa grinned. "I just know you'll love it."

_His eyes aren't smiling at all! He's going to kill us!_ Was the unison thought of everyone there. They were really close to tears.

_xxxx_

Unlike Meiko with the boys horsing around, in Teikou's first gym, the boys were once more enduring another harsh practice. It was a fact that they had won the Summer Championship, but that didn't mean they'd slack off with their training.

But, on the sidelines, were two men, one being Sanada and the other being the head coach Shirogane Kouzou. The latter man's eyes were glued to the performance of the first years and couldn't help but to comment.

"It's a wonderful team." Shirogane smiled. "It doesn't look like I'll need to do much, so I'll sit back and relax."

"That won't do." Sanada quickly said.

"I know. You really can't take jokes, can you Sanada?"

"Pardon me." He snorted. "But I can understand your rationale behind saying that. This of course also applies to Nijimura, but the sheer perfection achieved by Akashi and the rest of the first years is completely beyond that of middle school students." He then added, "Without a doubt, they're the strongest team we've seen to date."

Shirogane placed a finger on his chin in deep thought. "Well…" he trailed off. "…'perfection' huh. If you want to call it that, but I think it may be the other way around."

"What?"

"They're still evolving. This is hardly the limit of their capabilities." Shirogane shivered upon saying that. "What terrifying children. I'm not sure who coined the term, but the title 'Generation of Miracles' befits them. They are truly the strongest team to date." Shirogane's eyes continued to look at the court full of boys, covered in sweat and shouting out all sorts of incoherencies. "Starting members with unlimited potential, a bench filled with veteran third years and a manager who excels at scouting…it's unimaginable that they could lose. This isn't ideal or belief, this is _fact_."

Sanada nodded in agreement. "That is wholly true."

Looking at his boys, apart from Nijimura (who's a second year), the rest of the winning team were all first years. It had stunned everyone, but it was clear that those first-year boys would become real monsters in later years to come.

However, as the days went on, the coaches had failed to notice the effects the Miracles had on the members. Unbeknownst to the Miracles, their teammates were slowly drifting away from them. During their inter-string games, whoever played against them were often time left broken and depressed as nothing worked against that team.

At the net, Murasakibara blocked every shot, threes, layups, dunks…every shot under the sun. At the centre-circle, Midorima could shoot his threes from there; add to that, the boy was considerably tall. Blocking him was no easy feat. Aomine and Haizaki's speed and agility were a nuisance; they weaved through defense like it was nothing, but while Haizaki is more aggressive and orthodox, Aomine seemed bored and reserved but he was the real pain in the ass. His shots are always all over the place, unpredictable…in essence, he was _unorthodox_. Of the two, he was the worst one to be up against, but combine them together and they'll be a real piece of work.

But lastly but not least, Akashi. For many, it seems as though he has eyes all over his head. His passes are extremely precise, bringing out the best in the other players.

While Sanada and Nijimura praised their abilities, they failed to see how destroyed and devastated their opponents would end up. Even their practice matches, the opposing school would end up discouraged half-way through.

And due to their skills blossoming more and more with each passing day, the Miracles were seemingly to be getting less and less interested in the sport. Eyes that once burned with passion, excitement and thrill were now dull with boredom and lacklustre.

That said, for all the teams that would meet Teikou in Winter, they were in for a shock of a lifetime.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	25. Chapter 25

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" _In order to succeed, we must first believe that we can."_

\- Nikos Kazantzakis.

 

...

...

Kuroko stared up at the ceiling with tired eyes. Due to Kise and Masato almost killing each other, the entire club ended up facing Ishikawa's wrath. What's worst, the man had basically told them that they could have stopped them but really, who in their right minds would try to stop a fight with two boys who know martial arts?

It was then that Kuroko started to wonder what will happen now. Winter qualifiers are right around the corner and two of their players are at odds. Well, he knows that if he talks to Kise then maybe the blond would probably apologize. But then again, the reason for the fight was because Hayato hugged him from behind. Kuroko had noticed that when Abe had thrown his arm over his shoulder, Kise made a slight twitch, but it seems that Hayato triggered something far more dangerous.

"He was jealous." Kuroko said out loud. At that, a blush formed on his face. It was for a fact that Kise was always selfish when it came onto him, even before they had travelled back in time. But thinking about it now, Kuroko knew he couldn't fight it anymore.

"It'll have to wait until after the qualifiers."

_xxxx_

The days flew off quite quickly, the boys at Meiko preparing themselves for the upcoming qualifiers. Masato and Kise were still at odds, and as punishment, they had to do double the training than everyone else. It was agonizing for them, but one other thing that the others found out about the two were that they were unbelievably stubborn.

No matter how many times Hayato, Abe and Kuroko would talk to Masato and Kise and try to get them to reconcile, surprisingly both boys would reply in the same way:

"I'd rather die first."

It was odd how they were similar in this way. Hoshizumi didn't know whether or not to be amused or worried at this. Kuroko and Abe had been down this road before, but not even they could get the boys to even crack. Kuroko found this worrisome as well, as this was a side to Kise that he didn't know existed. After practice, they had met up and Kuroko asked the blond about the cause of this fight and he simply said:

"He called my mother a bitch." Kise had hissed. "I can't let that slide."

Kuroko shook his head when he heard that reasoning. It was for a fact that that was the cause, but Masato didn't outright refer to Kise's mother directly. But on the flip side, when he asked Masato the same question, the dark-haired teen had replied:

"He stepped in my brother's face. I would have killed him if Coach hadn't shown up." Masato had really looked murderous.

Kuroko could feel the grey hairs growing. But if this isn't cleared up soon, they'll be in trouble. Add to that, they aren't a team where the power of each player is outstanding; if that were the case then they'd probably would have a longer time to get them to make up. However, sadly, Meiko is not.

But luck was on their side. Kikuchi was actually getting annoyed by their behaviour, and as such he had stepped in. In just one session, Kikuchi chased everyone out of the gym (all except Masato and Kise) and after a couple of minutes, they saw the gym doors open revealing a grinning Kikuchi.

But what happened in the gym remained a mystery to the others.

After that, Kise and Masato were more or less friendly with each other but it was clear that they still hated each other. Behind Kikuchi's back they could be seen making threatening gestures at each other, but they tend to act friendly in front of him.

_xxxx_

"Alright boys! Good work today!" Ishikawa said as he blew his whistle. Immediately, the boys collapsed onto the floor, panting for air. Once again, they were slaving out, but this time it was worst due to the qualifiers coming up.

"Tomorrow we won't have practice but a strategy meeting. Be sure to be in the clubroom at regular time."

"Yes…Sir…" they managed to groan out. With a smile, Ishikawa then went to their bags and pulled out water bottles. He gave each of them, and ruffled their hairs while he was at it.

"Good work as always, you rascals." With that, he left the gym, leaving the boys to fix their now messed up hair. Even though they should be used to it by now, they felt that it was somewhat embarrassing.

When Ishikawa had left, the boys let out a sigh. Earlier today they were given the prelim brackets for the qualifiers, and sadly, right off the bat, they would be facing one of the best teams in their prefecture. Add to that, Meiko had lost to them in the Prelim Finals for the Summer Championship.

"Man, I wonder what Coach is going to plan for tomorrow." Masato sighed. "I mean, we're going up against Garin Middle!"

"Ha! You foolish mortals!" Hayato started up. He had folded his arms and wore a big grin on his face. "Have you forgotten the hell that we went through? We'll definitely beat them! You can leave it up to the Yatogami and his High Priest!" here he threw a hand over Abe's shoulder. The point guard was nodding in accordance.

Kise and Kuroko blanched. They really couldn't get used to this. But, it was still quite refreshing.

"Man, I'm so nervous and it's not even time for the match yet." Ogiwara sighed.

"There really isn't a reason to be, Ogiwaracchi." Kise replied. "I mean, we'll be discussing strategies that's all."

"But I'm not good at it."

"Then don't say anything."

"You…!"

"Me…?"

Ogiwara looked as though he wanted to strangle the blond. Kikuchi then cleared his throat in order to get their attention, that and he really couldn't handle a fight between Ogiwara and Kise. This team has had enough.

"I want you ask you guys something." He started, "do you guys have any ideas for the meeting tomorrow?"

"What's there than to go out and murder them?" Masato said. "I mean, we're the underdogs here, no one expects anything from us."

"I don't think that's a good idea, Masato." Hoshizumi said. "One reason being it's our first match, we can't use all our cards just yet. As a matter of fact, we don't have any."

Just then, Kuroko had an idea. Using the experience he's had from the future, a plan came to mind.

"Being the underdog isn't so bad." He said.

"How?" the other boys (minus Kise) asked.

"Well, in one instance, since no one will expect anything from us, we'll always have the element of surprise up our sleeves. Other teams will tend to not take us seriously until it's too late." He then looked in Kise's direction. Seeing that look, Kise knew that his partner was still hung up about their practice match.

"That makes sense." Mochida agreed.

"And in another, there's less information about us, so teams can't really plan for us. On the flip side, those powerhouse teams have tons of information so we can dissect them as much as we want." Kise grinned.

"That's so true." Hoshizumi was actually chuckling while rubbing his hands together in a sinister way.

"But what I'm worried about is Teikou." Hayato said. "I don't think surprise will work on those monsters."

"It will." Kise joined in.

"How?" they once more asked.

"I have an idea. Masato and Hayato can play like each other right?" the twins nodded. "Then why not have them play like each other until we meet Teikou?"

Abe brightened. "That would lead them to think that Masato is the shooting guard and Hayato is the power forward right?!"

"Yup."

"And then when they see Masato actually being a power forward they'll be stumped…for a while."

"Yeah _for a while."_ Ogiwara sighed. "But what's going to happen when they've become accustomed to it?"

"Well…" they then descended into silence. Kise chuckled at how easily they deflated.

"Guys, calm down a bit." Kikuchi said. "We'll get through this. I like the idea of Masato and Hayato switching places until we meet Teikou. We can get the advantage there, even if it's for a few baskets."

"I have an idea." Ogiwara spoke up. Eyebrows rose at this. Meiko's 'Bundle of Joy' isn't the type to have strategic ideas. "Why don't we purposely win our games by narrow margins until we meet Teikou?"

"Purposely win by narrow margins? Isn't that a bit too risky?" Abe asked.

"No," Kuroko said. "If we do that, then everyone will really think that we can't put up a fight. They'll underestimate us, and think that we won our matches by strokes of luck."

"It's the perfect tactic of deception!" Hoshizumi yelled with joy. "They won't know what hit them!"

"Nice going, Ogiwaracchi." Kise said as he nudged the boy in his side.

"Thanks,"

"But apart from that, Teikou are far more skilled than we are." Masato said. "How the hell are we going to deal with that? No matter the tactics we use they'll still overpower us."

"Then, all you have to do work on what you're lacking." Kise said in a matter-of-factly.

"What the hell do you think we've been doing all this time, idiot?!" he barked back.

"Who're you calling an idiot?! I'm talking about teamwork here!"

"Now, now, children. If you fight I'll kill you." Hoshizumi snarled.

"Yes Sir." They murmured. Their captain can be quite scary, sometimes even scarier than Kikuchi.

"Now let's back to the issue at hand, shall we?" Kikuchi smirked. "I like how these ideas can bear fruit."

But unbeknownst to them, by the exit, Ishikawa was listening to every word they uttered.

_xxxx_

Ishikawa opened the door, shocked to see his entire team sitting in the clubroom with grins on their faces. Seeing their look, he knew that they had something up their sleeves, well, something good for them, and most likely bad for the teams they'll be facing.

"You rascals seem to be in a good mood today."

"Of course!" Ogiwara chirped. "We have some ideas that'll take us to the finals!"

"Hoh? Let me hear them."

All eyes turned towards Kikuchi. The manager let out a deep sigh before he began, "Well, we thought that Masato and Hayato should switch positions and that we should purposely win our matches by narrow margins to fool opponents, especially Teikou."

"I see." Ishikawa nodded, pretending he didn't know. "Those ideas can work, but what are you going to do if we meet Teikou in round one at the Tournament?"

The boys were silenced.

"Coach, you like to see us in despair don't you?" Abe said.

"He really does." Mochida sighed. "No wonder he's still single." He then murmured.

"Don't be like that," Ishikawa chuckled. "It's a Tournament, anything can happen. And plus, Teikou aren't the only ones you should be wary about."

"We know that." Hoshizumi said. "It's just that if we can defeat Teikou, then we can defeat anyone else right?"

"That is correct, but only to an extent. But let's not dwell on that, we have work to do." Ishikawa then placed the DVD in the player and thus the team started their analysis on Garin Middle School. The more they watched, the more Kise and Kuroko saw the others cringe and let out heavy sighs.

It was for a fact that Garin was better than them, and Kise started to wonder that there may be mental shackles as well. They experienced it with Hayato, but his feeling of inferiority actually makes him push out the effort to be the best. But the others…even though they want to be the best, it seems like the moment they see someone better than them, the self-doubts start.

"This isn't good." He mumbled to himself. Add to that, he's always been talented, so he really couldn't understand where they're coming from. They only thing they have in common are getting their asses beaten.

A couple minutes later, Ishikawa stopped the DVD and addressed them. "That's our first opponent. What do you think?"

"Man, I doubt we can win." Masato sighed. "I have to hold off that hulk? He's bigger and taller than me, you know."

Kise rolled his eyes. "If you doubt yourself, you'll reach nowhere."

"It's not like I'm doubting myself. It's just that they're really good!" Masato countered with a huff. "Their play is kinda cool too."

Kise laughed. "That's the problem. Believe me, when you keep on admiring, you'll never be able to surpass them. It's like an invisible chain that restricts you from getting better."

"Eh?"

"That's why Abecchi's growth is somewhat unlimited. He looks up to no one, admires no one, and hates when others are better than him. That way, he'll always find new skills but for someone (like you) who keeps admiring someone, you'll be shackled by the fact that you're not like them. You'll keep wondering if you can _be_ like them, which will be your downfall."

"You actually have a point there." Hoshizumi nodded.

"That's right," Abe joined in. "But don't you dare call me 'Abecchi!' It's disgusting!"

Kise smirked. "Why not, Abecchi?"

"It's exactly as Kise says. Don't admire them. Don't doubt yourself. Just go out there and do your thing." Ishikawa joined in. "Now, let's plan Garin's demise, shall we?"

The boys actually perked at this. "Yes Sir!"

_xxxx_

The boys of Meiko paced around their locker room in anticipation. Finally, the Winter Qualifiers have begun, but somehow, they all (except Kise and Kuroko) felt knots in their stomachs.

"Guys, I'm gonna vomit. I don't think I can play today." Ogiwara said while clutching his abdomen. "Do you have any antacid for upset stomach?"

"Is it just me, or is the time really hot?" Mochida said as he fanned himself. "I think I might die of a heat stroke before the match."

"Ogiwara, you're perfectly fine and Mochi, it's Winter! You can't die of a _heat_ _stroke_!" Hoshizumi shouted.

"Technically, we're still in Autumn." Hayato said.

"The point is, he can't get a heat stroke now!" the captain continued to argue.

But this eased the tension in the locker room and had the others busting with laughter. Ishikawa only sat and watched them with an amused expression on his face. They continued with their antics, moving from having heat strokes to possibly having autumn strokes and all sorts of nonsense. Hayato would then begin his epic 'Yatogami' speech; Abe would join in as well.

But Kise and Kuroko cracked up with laughter. This team was just too hilarious.

"Alright you rascals." Ishikawa then said. "Playtime's over, it's time to head out."

The moment he said this, Ogiwara started to pant heavily due to nervousness, Mochida starting up again about getting strokes, Kikuchi throwing threats all over the place and so forth.

"Guys, calm down. Remember, they're middle schoolers just like you." Ishikawa soothed. "There's nothing to worry about."

"That's right you idiots! Let's go out there and slaughter them!" Masato cheered.

"Masato, remember the plan." Kikuchi said. "You can't _slaughter_ them."

"Hai, hai," Masato said as he waved his hand before him in dismissal.

And so, the boys headed out onto the court, the same time that Garin emerged from the other side as well. Seeing their opponents in the flesh, Meiko couldn't help but let out a heavy sigh. On the screen, they looked average (except for their shooting guard), but now, the entire team looks huge.

Reaching at their bench, the Meiko team dropped their bags and began their warm-ups. Garin never even spared a look in Meiko's direction, not that the boys minded. They could feel that they were being underestimated, but after that meeting yesterday, they began to think otherwise about being the underdogs.

After their warm-up time was done, the boys returned to their benches and changed into their jerseys.

"Watch and learn, Kuroko." Abe smirked. "I'll show you how a point guard rolls."

"Okay." He deadpanned.

Abe twitched. "What's with that lacklustre response?!"

"Just get out on the court, Abe." Hoshizumi chuckled.

They then made their way towards the centre-circle where the referee was standing. Meiko's starters were Hoshizumi, Mochida, Abe, Kikuchi and Ogiwara; Hayato and Masato were going to be subbed in at a later time. Kise and Kuroko weren't going to be playing (much to their displeasure).

"Let the game between Meiko Middle School and Garin Middle School begin!"

"Let's play a good game!"

The teams bowed to each other after which they headed towards their respective positions on the court, Mochida and Ten facing off for the ball. But Ten was taller than him so Meiko knew that Mochida won't be able to get the tip-off. And as such, Meiko positioned themselves quite strategically. Abe and Kikuchi were right next to Nine and Four ―Garin's point guard and power forward, Hoshizumi was in their court, and Ogiwara was in Garin's court.

The referee then threw the ball into the air, both boys jumping for it. And as expected, Ten reached the ball, and passed it to Nine. However, Abe made sure to snatch the ball before it reached its destination. Then, he dashed off towards Garin's net, Nine and Five chasing, Ogiwara was free. He then came to a halt, and putting to use what Kuroko taught him, he passed the ball to Ogiwara who received it with ease.

The brunet then stormed towards the net where he made a shot. "Yes!" he cheered.

Meanwhile, on the bench, Masato groaned out. "I thought they didn't want us to stand out."

"Masato, this is just the first basket." Hayato said. "As the game progresses, everyone will forget about that first basket anyway."

"That's true."

Garin's Ten retrieved the ball and made a long pass to Nine. The other players then moved off into Meiko's court, and the moment they crossed the centre-circle they encountered Meiko's zone defense. Abe guarded the top-of-the-circle area, Hoshizumi and Ogiwara were at the left and right wings, in the free throw circle was Kikuchi and guarding the net was Mochida.

Garin stopped momentarily in their tracks but after Nine scanned the entire court, he then instructed his players. They then dashed off towards their markers, but unlike prior, their markers have changed. Abe faced Nine, but Ten marked Hoshizumi, Ogiwara was marked by Four, Kikuchi had Five, Mochida was free.

Seeing this set-up, Meiko had no idea what they were planning, but one thing was clear, Garin wanted to stop Hoshizumi's threes. On any team, shooting guards are the most lethal, so to stop them is like cutting down a team's firepower.

"Tsch, these bastards," Abe murmured to himself.

Just then, Nine went into a crossover in an attempt to pass Abe. But Abe wouldn't let him pass. Having practices with Kise really paid off. However, in an instant, Nine bounced the ball to Seven who was free. He then sprinted towards the free-throw circle where Five and Kikuchi were.

But sadly, Five's defense was extremely good and kept Kikuchi from moving. The two boys could be seen pushing and shoving against each other, but in the end, Five was better. By the time Seven reached close to the net, he was blocked by Mochida, but in that instance, he paused a while before turning his back. This left Mochida frozen for a while but then he saw Seven pass the ball to Five. The boy caught it with ease since he was much taller than Kikuchi.

And, just like that, Five made the shot.

Meiko were unperturbed by this, since it was just the first quarter. Mochida retrieved the ball, and dribbled towards the top-of-the-circle before passing it to Abe. But without hitch, Abe weaved around Nine before passing the ball to Ogiwara. The small forward bolted towards the net but once again, he was stopped by Four. But, making a quick crossover, he bounced the ball to Kikuchi who had run by.

Catching it, Kikuchi continued onwards, but as he was about to make a shot, Ten knocked the ball from his hands, sending it bouncing away. Both Hoshizumi and Five began scrambling for it, but luckily it went out of bounds, giving Meiko a throw-in.

It was done by Ogiwara, and he passed the ball to Abe. With his hand signals, he instructed his team to get into position, and this is where the match really started.

Following Abe's instructions, Ogiwara and Kikuchi then made their way towards the net, while Mochida lagged behind, Hoshizumi close to the sidelines. Playing it safe, former two allowed themselves to be stalled by Four and Five the moment they reached into the free-throw circle area.

Nine moved up to stop Abe who was dribbling up a storm. All eyes were now focused on him, but in the moment that he made a crossover, he passed the ball to Mochida who had then run on further, Hoshizumi made his way carefully towards the right wing. It was then that Seven moved from the paint to stop the centre, but Mochida made a chest pass to Ogiwara who then bounced it to Kikuchi. The manager then passed it back to Abe who, after receiving the ball, broke free of Nine's defense and headed towards the others.

However, he made a pass to the right wing instead, and it was in that instant, Garin spotted Hoshizumi dashing towards it. The captain caught the ball and quickly made a three.

Meiko cheered at that, but what was more surprising was that it had actually worked. Hoshizumi isn't like Kuroko, but thanks to the others grabbing all the attention, it was easy for him to slip to his spot unnoticed before it was too late.

Garin's players twitched.

"Let's get back our points from these no-names." Four hissed to his teammates. The others nodded in agreement.

Hence, the first quarter's pace changed drastically. Garin attacked Meiko, not as ferocious as the boys expected but it was not to be taken lightly. Hoshizumi was always guarded by Ten in an attempt to stop his threes. They didn't wait to know whether or not he was a lethal shooting guard, they left nothing to chance.

Abe and Nine often fought for the ball at the top-of-the-circle, when that didn't work, it was left to how well either point guard instructed their teammates. But as expected, Nine was far more experienced than Abe, so there were times when he got the better of the young teen.

There were times when Meiko manages to get threes as well, but they weren't through Hoshizumi. Kikuchi and Ogiwara, given the situation, would make threes as long as they're possible. This would lessen the burden on Hoshizumi in the sense that Garin now has to watch out for three different people who are capable of shooting threes. And as such, not knowing who will shoot is a plus.

But apart from that, Ogiwara played well. He made sure to use a little of the skills he learnt from Kise, in order to make his shots but mostly to keep a good defense. But, Garin weren't one of the best schools for nothing. There were times when the ball got stolen; balls were intercepted and so on.

Kikuchi played did a good job also. He kept his defender at bay most of the time, and other times he'd managed to get some shots in. His shots however, look like accidents which led Garin to think that he was only good at defense. Luckily for Meiko.

When the second quarter began, it got quite high-paced, but the boys of Meiko still managed to hold out. Well, their summer training wasn't in vain. Back and forth the teams went, but here, Garin's coach realized that he can't take them lightly. Meiko's movements have improved from the last time, but he could tell that there was something off about them. Their movements suggest that they can do better, but they were still playing a bit 'normal'. Too 'normal'. It was as though they were playing with just enough strength to get baskets.

They haven't really put that much into blocking where it would prove troublesome to break free, their threes were as ordinary as they got ―the shots went in, but some landed on the rim just before going in. Their small forward and power forward seem to specialize in offense and defense respectively…the only one who seemed a bit frightful was their centre who seemed to be rooted at the net sometimes. Garin's coach just couldn't understand.

That said, the first half ended with Meiko on twenty-six and Garin on twenty-nine.

"Good going out there, boys." Ishikawa congratulated as his players returned to the bench. "But you do realize that now it's going to get tougher, right?"

"Well, it's going into the second half. Games usually do at this point." Ogiwara sighed.

"It's not that. Garin probably realizes that you're dangerous. Their defense is going to get stronger, and their attacks more ferocious. Stay alert."

"Hai!"

The referee blew his whistle to re-start the game, the two teams making their way back to the court, however, Hoshizumi and Kikuchi were taken out for Masato and Hayato.

The third quarter was like the second, the game being high-paced…run and gun. However, it was only when Garin was on the offense. The boys clad in white and blue were just as Ishikawa had predicted ―ferocious. They dashed with speed towards Meiko and being bigger than the boys, Garin overwhelmed them in many areas such as height.

But, when Meiko is on the offense, the game's pace is slowed down, so slow that the audience (the little that was there) found it somewhat creepy. On Garin's side, it was quite annoying, as just a little before, they'd be rushing towards the boys in green. It took a toll on their legs; the slow pace making the lactic acid build up.

Masato hardly made any threes, since his marker was a monster. Prior to the match, he had conditioned himself for their shooting guard, but it turns out that the Ten was marking him instead. Anytime he received the ball and was about to shoot, the bulky teen would block him, thus forcing him to pass often to either Ogiwara or Hayato or Abe (if he's close).

But, Meiko used this to their advantage. Ten had gotten used to Masato not shooting when he has the ball, so he has always had to be on the look-out. This gave Masato chances to fake passes to his teammates when in reality he goes for shots instead.

Hayato and Five were often time at odds with each other, since Hayato is a shooting guard; he knows all the tricks that his type would use. Five couldn't escape that. Add to that, Hayato felt like taking revenge for Hoshizumi, after all, the bleached blond teen regards their captain as one of his 'people'.

In the fourth quarter, that was when things got nasty. Garin's defense seemed to have no holes, their offensive power increased as well. It was at this point in time that Kuroko and Kise saw the fruits of their labour. Abe and Hayato's partnership was superb. Abe's passes to the Yatogami often time left their defenders speechless, Ogiwara, Masato and Mochida tried their best not to let the others get in their way. Ogiwara and Mochida worked together as well, the small forward would often time shoot the ball from the outside fooling the opponent into thinking that he would make a three. In reality, it would be an alley-oop with Mochida.

Masato on the other hand, he proved to be a great hindrance to Garin. Since Ten was always guarding him, he sort of relinquished his position as shooting guard and helped out his teammates instead. He'd scan the court for the best possible routes and to warn them of any dangers. It seemed as though Masato and Abe switched positions for a while.

But, at the end of it all, Meiko won the match seventy to sixty-eight.

_xxxx_

"We won!" Hayato cheered. He then turned towards Ishikawa. "Coach, I think we need a treat."

"After you make it to the actual tournament." Was his swift reply.

"Coach!" the boys wailed out. "Don't be so mean!"

"Why don't we go for popsicles?" Kise then suggested. "They're cheap and refreshing."

"That doesn't sound like a bad idea." Hoshizumi agreed. "So, where exactly are we going? I don't remember seeing a convenience store around here."

"I know the perfect place with the perfect set of flavours!" Hayato perked. "However, it's in Tokyo."

"We can catch a train." Masato said, "it's not that far from us."

"But, I won't have any money left for the popsicles! We'll have to take the train back, right?" Mochida said.

"Don't worry, it's on me." Kise smiled.

"As expected from the model." Abe nodded. "In that case I want ―"

"One popsicle per person. I'm not that rich."

"Aww! Can't you buy two boxes?" Hoshizumi pouted. "It's cheaper that way."

"If you all don't stop, I think I'll change my mind."

In an instant, their behaviour changed and they marched off towards the station. Kise was stunned by their swift mood change, but realized that they really wanted the popsicles. He chuckled to himself, this sort of reminded him of the times when he was at Teikou in his previous life. It was almost like a ritual, after a game they'd go get some popsicles.

Not before long, they made it to the station, and managed to catch the train that was about to leave. Throughout the ride, they kept silent since there were so many people around. When they finally made it to their destination, they swiftly dismounted and made it successfully to the convenience store.

Without hitch, Kise made a beeline for the fridge, and actually took up the two boxes. The others brightened up at that, and the moment they left the store, they opened the first box and took out their desired flavour.

"Ah, the melonberry flavour soothes my soul!" Abe purred. "Delicious~"

"No way, the blueberry is the best!" Hayato countered. "Nothing beats the blueberry flavour!"

Kuroko listened to their playful banter all the while nibbling on his popsicle. This brings back memories, but he realized that it's all in the past, for the Miracles, it never happened. Just then, they rounded a corner and saw a flock of Teikou students.

"Would you look at that? Seems like we're in Teikou's domain." Hoshizumi said. "Should we be attacked, we'd be severely outnumbered. Men, evasive manoeuvre!"

"Yes Sir!" And just like that, the boys started to duck behind poles; into dark alleys…they hid behind anything that they could find. Kuroko and Kise played along as well, and at one point, they thought that Kuroko was missing. They burst into a frenzy, until the light-blue haired spoke up in a deadpanned manner,

"I'm here."

And this caused them to let out manly screams, which drew the attention of the other pedestrians. They continued their walk back towards the train station, by this time; they had finished eating their first popsicles. It was then that Kuroko noticed something. On his stick, the word 'Winner' was there. Remembering what happened the last time he had the stick, he swiftly gave it to Ogiwara, and told him to do whatever he wanted with it.

"Kuroko, this is something you should give to a fair maiden!" he said with vigour. "I am a man! I don't need these!" he then murmured to Kuroko, "Thanks though."

"Ogiwaracchi, do you see a fair maiden around here?" Kise asked as he distributed the other set of popsicles.

"Well not ―" he cut himself off as bright pink caught his eyes, exiting from a nearby store. "There! I spot a pink haired beauty!"

"Where?!" they asked. When Ogiwara pointed in the direction, their mouths hung open in surprise. There she was walking in the opposite from them. She was none other than Momoi Satsuki.

"Go for it man!" Masato said.

"If you don't strike now, you'll never be able to for the rest of your life!" Hayato added. "Catch her before it's too late!"

"I shall not let this go to waste! I shall make haste!" Ogiwara chuckled as he sped off towards the pink haired beauty. But, Kuroko ducked behind a tree instinctively, remembering that in his previous life, this was the start of Momoi's 'love' for him. Surely, he doesn't want a repeat of _that._

But, then, he figured that this may be a good chance to have a talk with Kise. If memory serves him right, there should be a street court somewhere around here. And so, Kuroko grabbed Kise's wrist and dragged him away from the fussing boys and not to be spotted by Momoi.

But this action didn't go unnoticed by Hoshizumi. With a smirk, he gathered the rest of the boys quickly.

"Mochi, Kikumo, Masato," he began. "You guys follow Ogiwara and make sure to video." The trio nodded their understanding. "Hayato, Abe, you'll be coming with me. We'll see what those two are up to." The Yatogami and his Priest grinned evilly.

_xxxx_

"This court brings back memories." Kise said as he gazed into the evening sky. "So why did you bring me here?" he turned as he asked Kuroko.

"I need to talk to you."

"Well, that's pretty obvious. It wouldn't be to play basketball since neither of us has any."

"I've come to realize that I really like you." Kuroko didn't even hitch. But hearing that, Kise froze. He stared at Kuroko for about a minute or so before saying,

"Could you repeat that?" He knew what he had heard but he wanted some sort of confirmation. Something that'll reassure him that this is not a dream.

"I like you."

Kise stared once more. _This is not a dream. This. Is. Not. A. Dream!_ Kise screamed in his thoughts. A broad smile appeared on his face; happy would be an understatement to describe how he felt at this moment. He's waited years for this, endured hardships for this, and finally, his suffering has paid off.

Meanwhile, seeing Kise seize up like that made Kuroko wondered if the boy was having a heart attack or something. Fretting, he placed a hand on Kise's cheek, slightly patting him.

"Ki―" Kuroko broke off as he felt soft feathery lips crash onto his. He was taken aback by this, but then he felt arms slid around his waist pulling him closer. Kuroko had leaned his back against the wall and tried to resist since they were in an open area, but he couldn't.

He _can't._

Giving in to his desires, snaking his arms around Kise's neck, Kuroko returned the kiss with likewise fervour. Their kiss was quite heated, Kise seeming as though he wanted to devour the smaller boy. Kise then undid the third and fourth button on Kuroko's shirt before sliding his hand in, earning a gasp from the boy.

Using this chance, Kise claimed Kuroko's mouth and losing his balance, Kuroko was slowly leaning backwards. However, both boys broke apart the moment they heard a shout,

"Calm down, bro! Don't eat him!"

Kuroko looked around, trying to find out who the sound came from. But neither boy could see anyone.

"Is it just me, or did that shout sounded like Hayato?" Kise asked.

"It did."

_xxxx_

Hoshizumi, Hayato and Abe trailed behind Kise and Kuroko, Abe holding his phone and videoing every step they took. The bespectacled teen didn't want to miss a moment, and he knew that the others didn't want to either. Soon, they came up on a street court, and lucky for the trio, there were bush nearby to conceal them.

Hiding in the bush, Hoshizumi and Hayato stayed on either side of Abe and withheld the bush out of his face and the camera's lenses.

"This court brings back memories," they heard Kise say.

"Oh man! I like the acoustics out here! Perfect volume!" Abe joked.

"Shut up! You want them to know that we're here!?" Hoshizumi snapped.

They refocused back to the two transfers just in time to hear Kuroko's confession. All three were shocked at this, as the normally stoic and (sometimes) cold Kuroko was confessing his love to Kise?

"This is my confession~" Hoshizumi sang.

"If I'm gonna tell it then I gotta tell it all~" Hayato joined in. Poor Abe, caught in the middle, wanted to laugh out but couldn't. But, they got a surprise. Kuroko pat Kise on his cheek, after which they saw Kise crash his lips onto Kuroko's.

"He went in for the kill!" Abe and Hayato screeched.

"Kise's hands are starting to roam as well!" Hoshizumi said as though he was a commentator. "But wait!" he let out a gasp. "Kuroko isn't dead yet! He's resisting Kise's fierce attack!"

"Just give in to the carnal desires of man and let _him in_!" Hayato said the last part between gritted teeth. "Don't be stubborn, Kuroko!"

"I can't understand this." Abe joined in. "Isn't Kuroko the one who just confessed? Why is he resisting? Doesn't he want to be kissed by his love?"

"Maybe it's because they're out in the open. Kise's a model, so this could be one nasty scandal." Hayato answered.

"I see what you mean." Hoshizumi nodded. "Kuroko isn't out of the woods yet. His HP is draining slowly but surely. If he doesn't do something he's ―oh my God!" Hoshizumi continued with his commentating. "Kuroko was conquered! He gave in! More like, his defences crumbled against the blond's attack! His HP is draining rapidly…" Hoshizumi paused to take a breath. "…now both boys are caught in a passionate kissing session! Kise is not holding back! It seems as though years of yearning for Kuroko's love have finally burst forth!"

"Kise is quite the sly bastard." Hayato then commented when he saw Kise fumbling with the shirt. "Currently, the blond bastard is messing with Kuroko's buttons and is sliding his hand in. I've seen this tactic before. My sixteen year old brother uses this tactic on his girlfriend when he doesn't want to get caught!"

"Kise…I see he's trying to devour the poor boy! _Such savagery!"_

_I think you're the savage one here, Captain._ Abe thought wryly.

"Heh! But even so, Kuroko doesn't mind! Look!" Hayato joined in. "Kuroko is now wrapping his hands around Kise's neck, beckoning to his partner to not stop! Oh my! He's even entangling his fingers into the blond's locks! WHOO! I think Mochi was right! I really will die of a heat stroke! It's too hot over here!" Hayato said while fanning himself like crazy.

Abe, who's acting as the cameraman was currently fighting for his life. Being surrounded by these idiots and their stupid comments trying to imitate sports commentators, he wanted to bust with laughter but he couldn't. He didn't want his phone to drop in the dirt. Struggling to stay alive, Abe continued to video all the while doubling his lips together. He then closed his eyes and inhaled, trying to calm his nerves.

"Calm down bro! Don't eat him!"

Abe was taken out of his thoughts when he heard Hayato made that screech. It was quite loud and he wouldn't be surprised if Kise and Kuroko heard him. And so it was. Both boys had looked directly in their direction.

"Shit! Retreat!" Hoshizumi shouted while dashing through the bush, Abe and Hayato following close behind. They managed to end up back at the convenience store, and surprisingly the others were there waiting.

"Hayato!" Masato shouted in glee upon seeing his brother. "Guess what? Ogiwara got her email!"

"That's…great…" Hayato panted, likewise Abe and Hoshizumi. The others realized that they looked absolutely tired and raised their eyebrows in confusion.

"Why do you look like that?" Mochida asked. "Were you chased by something?"

"No, but we needed to get out of there. Kise would have killed us."

"Why?"

"Bro, you'll see soon." Hayato smirked. But then he turned to look at Ogiwara. "Now tell me how it went with you and that girl."

"It was normal. We talked." The brunet responded.

"Do you take me for a fool?! _I said, tell me what the hell happened!_ " Hayato roared.

"Spare me Yatogami-sama! But honestly, we just talked. At first she was pissed thinking that I was giving her my garbage. So I explained to her and she cheered up a little. She then asked me what I was doing here since the uniform is one she didn't recognize. I told her and that's when I found out that she's into basketball as well."

"Really?!" Hoshizumi said. "You go boy, that girl is a gem, you better cherish her."

"Heh," Ogiwara said as he rubbed the back of his head, "that's not all; she's the manager for Teikou's basketball club."

A moment of silence came. Jaws dropped to the ground and eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. When they came to, Kikuchi was the first to reply, "This situation is grave. That's like sleeping with your enemy!"

"Wait, weren't you guys watching? How is this surprising?" Hoshizumi asked.

"We saw, but there was no audio. They were too far." Masato sighed.

"Well, now that the interrogation over, can we go home now?" Abe asked. "My legs are killing me."

"But Kise and Kuroko aren't here." Kikuchi said. "At least ―"

"We can leave them. They're busy." Hayato said quickly.

"What could they be 'busy' doing?" Ogiwara said.

"Who's busy?"

"Speak of the devil and he shall appear, huh." Masato drawled. Kise and Kuroko walked towards them, both looking as though they were dipped sparkles. However, Kuroko was constantly touching his lips, seeming to be in a daze. Everyone noticed that, but decided to ignore it, except Ogiwara.

"Why are you touching your lips so often Kuroko?" he asked.

"Ah," Kuroko said as he looked up. "They just got a taste of heaven that's all."

Ogiwara paused. "It's the popsicles, right?! They really were _divine!"_

"You ignorant fool!" Abe, Hayato and Hoshizumi came out all at once, startling the brunet and the others there.

"What? What did I do?"

"Just keep walking."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	26. Chapter 26

...

...

 

 

" _There's a difference between something you were_  
_born with out of pure luck and something you won_  
 _after busting your ass for it."_

\- All Might _from 'Boku no hero Academia'._

 

_..._

_..._

 

_Winning against Garin, Meiko was now heading off to Round two of the Winter Qualifiers. Their second game was against Ryukyu Middle, a team that was well balanced between offense and defense. Kise and Kuroko played in this match, and even though the two transfers used every fibre of their being to restrain themselves, Meiko still managed to crush them 73 – 51. Kise had played as the centre substituting for Mochida, Kuroko was point guard subbed on for Abe. That said, they were immense pains for Ryukyu as nothing could get by Kise's defense, Kuroko's passes were too precise._

_Thus, their third game was against Keio Shonan, the best school in the prefecture. Meiko's line-up didn't change from their previous match, but this time, Kikuchi didn't play any at all. Instead, he recorded the necessary data on both teams so that they can have a post-game discussion afterwards. In the end, Meiko won 65 – 63 but that woke them up to the harsh reality waiting for them in the actual tournament._

_Their fourth and final game was against Nishimachi Middle, which was pretty much decided from the end of the first half. Abe worked his teammates with magic, Hoshizumi's threes were flawless, Masato was coming on as well when he was subbed on. Hayato and Ogiwara's teamwork was spot-on, so much that Abe and Masato were twitching from jealousy. Mochida as usual kept their basket safe, and stalled any defender from intercepting passes. Yet again, Kikuchi, Kise and Kuroko didn't play. But they still won, 70 – 68._

_And just like that, Meiko booked their spot in the Winter Tournament._

_xxxx_

The gym was quite noisy; sneakers squeaking against the floor, the ball bouncing quite loudly. The boys of Meiko were currently engaged in a four-on-four match; Kise, Mochida, Hoshizumi and Hayato on one team, while Kuroko, Ogiwara, Masato and Abe were on the other.

Abe was at the centre-circle storming towards the net but then he made a pass to what seemed to be open space. However, they all knew that that wasn't the case and within a blink, the ball was on its way to Ogiwara.

But, knowing their small forward, Hayato moved up to block him and that's when he passed it to Masato, who continued towards the net. Mochida stood firm as the centre, but then, Masato spun on his right leg to avoid him. He then jumped for a layup, however…

"Masato! Stop!" Abe shouted. But it was too late.

By the time the ball rolled off his fingers, he saw two hands come into his view. They knocked the ball from his hands, sending it bouncing outside of the court. When all was done, Masato was staring into Kise's smirking eyes and Mochida's triumphant gaze.

It was the two boys who had blocked him.

After their string of qualifying matches, this has become a regular in Meiko's gym. Teamwork was being emphasized, and amazingly, it was bearing fruit. There were times when (just like today), Kise and Mochida would team up to stop a shot. Whenever he teamed up with Ogiwara, it would be to increase their defense, stopping the opponent before he reaches into the paint, while with Masato or Kikuchi, it would be to increase offensive power. But Kise's best partnership would be with Kuroko of course, as when they're on the same team, they're basically unstoppable.

Other times, the other boys work with each other quite well. Hoshizumi and Kikuchi or Ogiwara would use like a lure tactic on their opponents. Hoshizumi would receive the ball at the wing area and pretend to shoot, however, in the moment that the defender comes up to block, he'd pass the ball to Kikuchi or Ogiwara (whichever one) and they'll make the shot.

Hayato and Masato have created a nasty combination which is bound throw anyone off their game. The two boys would sprint parallel to each other and when the time is right, they'd cross each other's paths and in doing so, giving the ball to the other. It took a while for them to get that right, and seeing the effectiveness, Ishikawa thought of adding Kuroko in the mix. That's when it's even worse.

But there were times when the reality would dawn on these boys, remembering that they aren't prodigies or geniuses or great players. It would dampen their growth sometimes and luckily, Ishikawa, Kise and Kuroko would take charge. But more so, Kise. Being from the prodigious side (which they don't know yet), he would viciously point out their weaknesses breaking them down further only to build them right back up with their good points. It would take a lot of the blond to cook up these speeches, and when done, they'd tease him saying that he should become a motivational speaker for all the teams aren't Teikou.

But overall, the Meiko team is improving steadily with one goal on their minds: to defeat anyone who stands in their way.

When practice was over, they were all sore and exhausted, but for once they were grinning like fools. They had fun, and according to Ogiwara: scheming has never been so much fun.

After they've been to the locker rooms and changed, they teased Ogiwara about his 'relationship' with Momoi, since the two would always text each other after practice. The team knew that they were just friends, but they liked to be teases, worst since they knew that Kise and Kuroko were together (when Ogiwara found out, he was quite displeased), they hoped that maybe more drama would arise. This continued until they had to go their separate ways, Ogiwara warning Kise that he shouldn't do anything to Kuroko that he wouldn't approve of.

But the blond would counter and say, "You don't approve of anything."

"That's the point!"

And just like that, the team splits off in their directions.

"Kurokocchi, do you think Momocchi would fall for Ogiwaracchi?" Kise asked. "I mean, wasn't she head over heels for you in our previous lives?"

"Well, it is a possibility." Kuroko said. "Previously, I was the one who gave her the popsicle stick. That was what made her fall for me. This time around, I gave it to Ogiwara-kun, and in turn _he_ gave it to _her_."

"So, Momocchi would still fall for the guy who gave her the popsicle stick, huh? No matter who it is. Somehow, I get the feeling that the timeline is trying to stick as closely to the previous one as possible."

"Me too." Kuroko nodded. "It was the same convenience store too."

"Would you look at that?" Kise sighed. "What else is going to change?"

"Let's just hope nothing catastrophic will change soon. I don't think I can handle it."

"What I'm worried about is the miracles. I wonder if everything's alright." Kise then took out his phone and scrolled down to Aomine's name. "Maybe I should call Aominecchi to see what's up."

"He'll challenge you to a one-on-one that's for sure." Kuroko chuckled.

"Ah, yeah," Kise locked the screen and placed it back into his pocket. "I'll call him another day. I can't handle a game now. My legs are tired."

Kuroko didn't answer, instead he chuckled. Kise then took a hold of Kuroko's fingers and entwined them grinning like an idiot. Kuroko didn't mind this, and so the two headed to the station in peace.

But, little did Kise know that if he had only made the call to Aomine, it would have delayed a disaster.

_xxxx_

Meanwhile, over by Teikou, things were turning bleak. Practice went on as usual, but these days, Nijimura has either been absent or late. The reason being, his father has gotten hospitalized. The coaches were already prepped on the issue and didn't make a fuss about it. After all, they knew the boy loved basketball and had served Teikou well.

It was one evening that he had returned to practice that he caught the Miracles practicing. He had already known, but they worked well together under Akashi's guidance. Seeing this, he thought to himself that his brats were in good hands. After all, Akashi was his vice-captain.

So that very evening, after practice was done and most had gone home, Nijimura made his way to the coach's office.

"Nijimura? What brings you here at this hour?" Shirogane asked.

"I have something I want to discuss." The raven-haired boy replied with a straight face.

"Have a seat."

"Thank you." Nijimura sat and without wasting a second, he began, "Seeing how things are now, I think it's better if Akashi was made the captain."

"What brought this on?"

"For one, ever since my father's been hospitalized, I'm not able to come to practice as I should."

"But that's understandable, Nijimura." Shirogane said, leaning forward. "No one is complaining about it."

"I know. But Akashi can do better job as well. I've seen how he works with the other first years. There is a different atmosphere about the team and I feel like I'll disrupt that." He said proudly. "He is my vice-captain, so I think he'll make a very good captain."

Shirogane sighed. "Are you sure about this?"

"Yes, I am."

And after that, the next practice, the announcement was made to the entire club, that Akashi was their new captain. Nijimura wasn't there at the time, once again visiting his father. No one objected to this, the boy was a good leader still.

The days passed by, practices carried on as usual, with some inter-string matches in the mix. It was here that a rift began to form between the Miracles and the other club members, unbeknownst to them and the coaches. Onlookers could only see the overwhelming strength of the regulars and not the despair of their opponents.

They've had external practice matches as well, and only one word could describe what they did: _annihilation._ Aomine and Haizaki's speed proved to be faster than any defense, Murasakibara's strength could blow past any amount of defenders that marked him, Midorima could shoot from anywhere on the court, the centre-circle being his widest range. And Akashi…his passes could get to his teammates whenever they wanted it.

But throughout all this, Shirogane and Sanada noticed just how strong these boys are becoming. It made them awe with pride, but little did they know that they were going out of control.

_xxxx_

"I have a proposal." Akashi said. "This team is strong, even the seniors say it's the strongest team to date."

"So what?" Aomine asked, totally uninterested, poking at his food.

"At the same time, it's often the case that when victory becomes a forgone conclusion, our team's motivation visibly declines. But just as coach said, regardless of who our opponents may be, it is proper to give it our all when playing. I propose we establish a fix quota. By this, I really mean something simple. It may vary depending on the opponent, but as a general rule, everyone must score at least twenty points."

That drew the attention of everyone at the table.

"Of course," Haizaki drawled. "Are you ready to lose Daiki~?" he said in a sing-song voice.

"Ha! You're on, you bastard!"

"Let me make this clear." Akashi started again. "When I say it's clear that our motivation has been deteriorating, I meant you two in particular."

"Huh?" they both said.

"I've noticed that you two are lacking interest in some of our games, I'm just trying to prevent laziness further down the road."

"Akashi-kun…" Momoi started, she couldn't believe her ears. However she couldn't utter another word. This was something that she would have never imagined, and to say she was in shock was an understatement. But, not wanting to hear any more of this conversation, she turned on her heel and left, tears threatening to leave her eyes.

The school day progressed smoothly; once again, it was time for practice. The conversation from lunchtime weighed heavily on Momoi. It was so much that her eyes lacked the vibrancy that it once had. Even though he eyes were focused on her clipboard, she wasn't seeing anything. All that was going through her mind was what they were becoming. The boys who had once loved basketball and played with foolish grins were disappearing if they weren't already gone.

By this time, the Miracles had all entered the gym and immediately practice started. On this day, they were having a mini-match against other members of the first string. So far it was going smoothly until…

"You let me waltz by you every damn time!" Aomine roared at one other member. "Even if you can't stop me, backup won't do shit unless you do something!"

"But I'm trying!" the boy argued. "It's just that you're too strong! There's no one who can stop you!"

Aomine felt like something dropped on him. He was done with this. He's had enough. "I'm not dealing with this." He turned and left, ignoring the calls of everyone around him.

Momoi looked on with horror. Add to that, Nijimura isn't here due to him visiting his father. She wanted to call out to him, but nothing came out of her mouth.

"Everyone, don't stop practicing!" Sanada said as he was about to make for the exit. However, he was stopped by Shirogane.

"Let me talk to him." With that, the older man followed behind the tanned ace. However, Aomine was fast. Shirogane made a chuckle seeing how one of his players' speed is coming back to bite him. After questioning the students around, he finally made his way onto the roof where Aomine was. Shirogane saw the boy hunched at the bars, looking over.

"Aomine-kun," he called out.

"Coach? What are you doing here?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Shirogane said as he walked over to him. "To talk to you."

Aomine fell into silence. Shirogane then stood beside the ace and followed his gaze onto the field below. There were students (who they thought to belong to the track club) racing against each other. They could hear their laughter and squabbles all the way up there.

"Aomine-kun, what's wrong?"

"I love basketball but I don't think I can play anymore." His voice sounded like it was about to crack.

"And why's that?"

"Because, in all our matches so far, no one tries to stop me! They give up halfway through! Whenever we play against other strings it's the same! Against other schools it's the same! Nothing changes!" he ranted.

Shirogane sighed. "It's still too early to think that Aomine-kun. There's the Winter Tournament, and there're many more schools entering. Chances are there are teams that will surprise you."

Aomine looked at him with wistful eyes. "I don't think so. It'll all be the same. Only Kise." Aomine turned to look at the coach. "Only Kise…He's the only one who actually puts up a fight! If it's him then…"

"Kise? Who's that?"

"He was in the third string, but he transferred out in June." He responded. "After practice every day we'd have one-on-ones, we'd work up so much sweat, we'd be so engrossed in our match that the janitor comes and tells us to leave. It was fun. Wonderful, even. And the thing is, even though I'm better than him, he never gives up. He comes back at me with eyes blazing, full of vengeance." Aomine let out a chuckle, "he was quite ferocious." Shirogane then saw him grip the bars with much force, hung his head low. "I miss him so much."

A smile played on Shirogane's face. But what he found sad was that he doesn't know this 'Kise'. He was also amazed at the boy's fighting spirit. He knew from the offset that Aomine was a skilled player, but for someone in the third string to be playing with him one-on-one every day is most astounding. Add to that, Aomine admits that he misses the boy. It even sounded as though he was in pain from it. The ace has never spoken about anyone like this before, not even fellow first-stringers.

"Coach!" Shirogane was taken out of his thoughts by Aomine. "Can't you arrange a practice match between us and Kise's school? Please! If it's even for just ten minutes!"

"I…" Shirogane trailed off. He wanted to decline, to get them to focus on the Winter Tournament that's coming up. But seeing Aomine's eyes and knowing the predicament that he's in currently, Shirogane couldn't decline. If playing against this 'Kise' would bring Aomine back ―save him, then by all means, he has to give it a shot. It all depends on whether or not the other party accepts. "…I'll see what I can do. But we can't have a match if the other school isn't willing to."

"I know, but…!"

"What's the name of his school?"

"Meiko!"

"I see." Shirogane nodded. He then placed a hand on Aomine's hair, ruffling it. "I'll try to get in contact with them immediately. Just go back to the gym and inform Sanada that I'll be in my office."

"Hai!" Aomine perked and dashed off with glee.

Shirogane sighed. He's never seen Aomine with a look like that outside of a basketball court, which proves just how much he wants to face this 'Kise'. He just hoped that his persuasive skills hasn't dulled over the years, as he has a gut feeling that he'll be needing all the strength he has.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	27. Chapter 27

 

...

...

 

 

" _What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, Stand a little taller."_

_-_ Kelly Clarkson _'Stronger'_

 

_..._

_..._

 

Ishikawa was torn. Not long ago did he receive a call from Shirogane Kōzō, the head coach of Teikou. The man had asked, no ― _begged_ for a practice match. He wanted to agree, in order to get the boys to know where they are in terms of strength. But also, he would like them to get an idea of what they were going to be facing in the Tournament. After all, Teikou isn't the only opponent that'll give them a rough time.

But he knew that they were fickle. If he agrees to this and they get slaughtered, they may end up severely discouraged. He wouldn't want to do that after they've made it to the tournament. However, if they wanted to win, they'll still face Teikou. It would be best to toughen them up from early.

He couldn't come to a decision. He told Shirogane that he'll have to think about it, but seeing how conflicted he is, maybe asking his boys if they wanted the match would be a good idea.

With that, he got up and headed out towards the gym. He knows that his rascals were still practicing or rather…scheming. These days, they've been using their heads to create some serious tactics and he's proud that they aren't relying too much on skills.

" _Masato_! You were off _the timing_! If you don't get the timing right, it won't _work_!" Ishikawa heard Kise screech. He let out a chuckle as he pushed open the door.

"Don't you think I know that?!" Masato shouted back. "I'll get it right the next time, so shut up!"

_Ah yes, the arguments of youth._ Ishikawa thought with a smile. He then cleared his throat. Immediately, they stopped their practice, and looked at the coach.

"Sorry to interrupt," he began, "but I have a serious question to ask."

"What's it coach?" Kikuchi asked.

"Well, Teikou wants a practice match with us."

The boys froze. Jaws dropped, eyes popped, and they were spluttering all sorts of incoherencies. He couldn't laugh as he could clearly see that they were in shock.

"What? How? Why?" Masato asked. "Aren't we a bunch of no-names?! We didn't even make it to the Summer Championship! Why are they asking us for a practice match?!"

"I don't know either." Ishikawa said. "But he begged me for the match."

"Begged? Coach…what's…?" Hoshizumi couldn't even complete his sentence. "Teikou begging _us_ for a match?" he then held his head with both hands, looking at his teammates. "Guys, we didn't somehow slip into the future where we beat Teikou at the Tournament and now everyone knows how good we are, right?"

They nodded their heads vigorously in agreement; however, Kuroko and Kise could only stare on in horror. Given what had happened to them, hearing that time-travelling joke was far from relieving.

"Boys, we aren't in the future or anything. But I need to know your answer."

"NO!"

"I don't want to be slaughtered! I have my pride you know!" Abe said.

"That's not a reasonable argument." Kise said. "Best to take your slaughter from now, than on national television where the entire Japan is watching." He then smirked. "Isn't a practice match much better? At least we won't be going into the Tournament blind."

"But then, they'll know what to expect from us!" Mochida said.

"We don't have to use our cards in this match. Unlike us, they're probably brimming with confidence and thus, they'll underestimate us, right? Plus, who says we have to win? We could use this as a form of scouting."

They were silenced. They knew Kise was right from the point about losing on national television, but still, this was a match with Teikou. Just thinking about it made them feel like pissing their pants.

"I'm not even sure. I mean, I want to, but then again…" Ogiwara started. "I know it's good to get a feel of what our strongest opponents are going to be like, but…"

"I won't force you." Ishikawa said. "Anyway, get back to your practice." He said as he left. The boys were left in a heavy silence, not knowing what to do. They could have taken the offer, but fear got the better of them. Kuroko knew this, but chose not to say a word because, it was understandable. They have just made it to the Winter tournament, they have just started to see improvements in their abilities. He wouldn't want them to lose hope now.

Just then, Ogiwara's phone rang out. He dashed towards his bag with a speed, and swiftly flipped it open.

"Hello!" he perked.

" _Ogiwara-kun, sorry to be calling you so late."_

"Nah, it's okay Momoi-san."

Hearing the name, the others were immediately on high alert. They stopped everything just to tune into the boy's conversation, and poor Ogiwara couldn't do anything. He knew if he tried to run they would just chase him and he won't be able to get any peace.

" _I…I need your help. Or rather, I want your team's help."_

"The entire team? For what?"

Momoi recounted the entire conversation at lunchtime and the disastrous changes she's been seeing in the Miracles lately. Ogiwara and the others were as pale as a sheet, since the phone was on speaker.

" _That's what happened, or has been happening. I don't like to see them like this! So please, can you and your team save them?"_ Her voice was pleading.

"We'll try." Ogiwara responded with uncertainty. "I mean we plan to take the Winter Tournament but hearing this ―" he broke off as the phone was snatched by Kise.

"Don't worry Momocchi! We'll beat their monstrous asses!"

" _Eh?! Who's this?"_

"Just a teammate of Ogiwaracchi, no one special~!" he said in a sing-song voice. Ogiwara then took the phone from the blond and proceeded to talk to her. He took it off loudspeaker and walked closer to the door, leaving the others behind. Kuroko had dragged off Kise to the other side of the gym.

"Man, Teikou or not, no one should be subjected to such heartache." Kikuchi started. "Not being able to enjoy the sport you love? That's way too evil."

"I know right," Hoshizumi agreed. "I feel it for Aomine and I've never even met him."

"But still, it hurts to be on the receiving end. If Aomine plays seriously, you lose hope. If he doesn't, you think he's looking down on you. My, there's no way out of this." Mochida sighed. "What kind of vicious cycle is this?"

"Right?" Masato agreed.

"Hmm, guys," Abe started. "It may be just me, or could it be that Teikou's coach knows what's going on that's why he asked us for the practice match?"

They looked at each other. But before anyone else could say anything, Masato spoke up,

"If that's the case, why ask _us_? There are plenty of other schools that could give Teikou an interesting match. There's Waseda, Tsurumibashi and Yotsuka that make up the top four. And that's just three out of the many that are there. So why us?"

"You have a point there." Mochida nodded in agreement. "We don't have any outstanding records, or any outstanding players."

"Well, we do," Hayato said. "Kise and Kuroko. But they can't be counted since they've only played in what, two matches?"

"Add to that, they didn't play with their full potential or even half of it." Kikuchi said.

"Could it be because they were once at Teikou?" Abe asked.

"They were in the third string. And according to them, third stringers are nobodies. Plus, why choose third stringers when there are other first stringers and second stringers available?" Hayato countered. "It doesn't make any sense. Did he think that we could win against them?"

"Impossible. He coaches _Teikou_ after all. He must know the kind of demons he's creating for world domination." Masato sighed.

The others followed likewise. This was getting nowhere. No matter how hard they tried, they couldn't understand the meaning behind why Teikou's coach would ask Ishikawa for a practice match. So they decided to leave it as is, as thinking about something like this would not get them better.

Meanwhile, Kuroko and Kise were stumped. If Aomine (and the other Miracles) have already gotten this bad, then they were in for hell come Winter. But what they couldn't understand was the trigger. The Miracles are still in first year, they couldn't have played so many matches already. It was then that Kuroko started to think that maybe it was because they weren't at Teikou anymore.

"No way," Kise shot down. "They didn't turn into monsters before you joined the first string in the previous life, so it shouldn't happen now."

"That's true but what did we do different that would lead them down this path so early?"

"Alright, then we'll do a checklist. Using everything we did differently or didn't do this time around, maybe we can find the cause."

"Okay, first we became friends before Aomine-kun and I did."

"No effect." Kise responded. "I joined the club in first year."

"That caused us to meet Aomine-kun quicker than previous." Kuroko said. "It caused a lot of things to be sped up actually."

"That's true. Alright, here's another one. We practiced with him in the third gym."

"More like you did." Kuroko chuckled. "But we became friends and eventually had one encounter with the other miracles."

"We transferred."

"Aomine and the miracles are still in Teikou."

Kise let out a groan. Running through the most significant changes and they still couldn't find the reason. The two then paused for a while, seeming to be lost in thought. Then, almost as though reading each other's minds,

"Wait!" the both came out with.

"I think I know what brought this on." Kise said.

"Strange, I think I know too." Kuroko said. "Is it because we transferred after we met Aomine-kun?"

"That's what I was thinking. He loves basketball and every day, I would play intense one-on-ones with him."

"Then you left. So now he has no one to play with. Or rather, no one with a vicious fighting spirit like yours."

"Exactly. So he's searching for someone else to fill that void or he simply continues to practice by himself even after hours."

"Which would cause an increase in his abilities quicker than in our previous lives. The others would see him getting better and wouldn't want to be left in his shadow so they get better too."

"And in getting better, they dominate the championship and other practice matches they have afterwards."

"Which leave us in our current predicament."

"Wow, great minds do think alike." Kise perked. But then he got serious. "To think, all this started just because we got a little close to Aominecchi and then transferred. Shit."

"That's right." Kuroko sighed. "And it's only going to get worse until the tournament."

"And there's no way we can persuade them to accept the match right?"

"It's a lost cause."

"Yeah."

"Guys!" All eyes then turned on Ogiwara who was finally off his phone. "I think we should accept that match."

Well, would one look at that?

"On what grounds?" Hoshizumi asked.

"Are you nuts? _Huh?!_ " Masato practically snarled at the boy. "I bet it's that Momoi! She coaxed you into this, didn't she?! She's cursed you!" He then looked across to Hayato and Abe, "Do something about this Yatogami-sama! Purify my comrade before it's too late!"

"Indeed I shall." Hayato grinned while making his way towards their small forward.

"Get away from me! Momoi didn't curse me or anything!" he answered swiftly. "But really, I think accepting this match would be a good idea. Plus, Kise said it; we don't need to win, just scout out them out."

"You're gonna have to bleach your hair, Masato." Hayato said with a sigh. "And get a new hairdo."

"Tsk," he hissed. "I wanted to do it for the tournament, too."

"Well, it seems like you're accepting the match. " Ogiwara grinned. "But you guys might want to sit," He grinned, ignoring Masato. "I may take a while and we'll end up arguing too."

_xxxx_

The next day, Aomine sought out Shirogane before practice, wanting to hear the news. He entered the man's office with hope shining in his eyes.

"Aomine-kun, let me guess, you're here about the practice match?" Shirogane asked.

"Yes!"

"Well, sorry to tell you this, but Coach Ishikawa told me he'll think about it." The older man sighed.

"He'll…think about it?" Aomine was crestfallen. It was the decent way to decline something, everybody knows that. "Doesn't that mean, 'no'?"

"Don't lose hope just yet, Aomine-kun." Shirogane tried to soothe. But seeing the look on Aomine's face, he knew that no matter what he said, it wouldn't cheer the boy up. Aomine then dismissed himself with a bow and exited the office. Shirogane felt knots in his stomach. This did not sit well with him.

But by the time Shirogane left his office and headed to the gym to oversee their practice, he noticed that apart from the sounds of sneakers and basketballs, the gym was devoid of chatter or rather…Aomine's shouting. Scanning the gym, he realized that the boy was not there.

Immediately, he headed to Sanada to know the boy's whereabouts.

"He never showed up." Sanada replied. "At first, I thought he hadn't come to school but Momoi told me that he was here."

"He is." Shirogane said. "It wasn't too long ago that he came to see me in my office."

Sanada sighed. "I just hope he hasn't gone and gotten himself into trouble."

"You're right."

_xxxx_

Aomine dashed through the school gates, hoping to escape before anyone of the basketball club spotted him. He sprinted towards the train station, and for once he was glad that Nijimura wasn't at practice today. If he was, Aomine was sure that Nijimura would be on his tail right now.

He made it safely to the train station, and with a quick glance over his shoulder, he boarded the next train to Saitama. He had a general idea of where Meiko was, thanks to Momoi searching for it when Kise had first told him that he had transferred.

Aomine knew this would probably get him into trouble, but he couldn't take it anymore. External matches, inter-string matches, even in practice, there was no one who he could stand on an equal footing with. Well, maybe equal footing was a bit of a stretch, but there was no one who stood up to him. After couple minutes, all his opponents give up and let him do what he wants. That's very heartbreaking.

But, he remembers that Kise wasn't like that. Kise was fundamentally weaker than him, but the blond never gave up. No matter how many times he lost to Aomine, Kise came back more vicious each time. Aomine liked that. He liked it very much.

Soon, he arrived at his stop and dismounted off the train. He exhaled a relief, and walked briskly towards the bus stop. Since he didn't know _exactly_ where the school was, it would be wise to take the bus and ask the driver to let him off there or nearby. He sat down on the seats underneath the shed and waited.

"What are you doing here?"

Aomine jumped in shock. Better yet, hearing the voice nearly made his soul escape his body to flee. But then again, _he_ would probably catch it to resurrect him for a beating.

"I'm…just…going to visit…a friend." He said with a lump in his throat. "What are you doing here, Nijimura-senpai?"

"I'm coming from the hospital. Dad's feeling much better so I decided to come back quickly for the majority of practice."

"O-okay." Aomine avoided his former captain's gaze. But even though Akashi was captain, it felt like Nijimura still was. He turned his face away, not wanting the older teen to see his face, but got even a shocker when Nijimura sat beside him.

"Well, I'll visit your friend with you." He smirked.

"What?! No! I mean, you don't have to!" Aomine defended.

"Of course, who knows what kind of trouble you'll find yourself in?" Nijimura pressed. "Besides, I know that you're hiding something from me."

Seeing the scary look in Nijimura's eyes made Aomine spill everything. And upon hearing the reason, instead of bashing the boy, the former captain ruffled his hair and looked at his watch.

"I'm coming with you." He said. "Then, when we returned to school together, your head won't get chewed off."

Aomine nodded. Somehow, he was relieved. Was his former captain always this kind?

The bus then came and the two boarded it. And luckily for Aomine, Nijimura knew where Meiko was. After fifteen or so minutes, they arrived at the school, and proudly walked through the gates. Nijimura asked a student for directions to the gym and the two boys from Teikou practically sprinted there (more like Aomine ran off and Nijimura chased).

Making it to their destination and opening the door, both boys saw six boys playing three-on-three while the seventh was writing on his clipboard. None of the seven boys present noticed their presences as they were immersed in their mini-match.

"Ah, hello." Nijimura greeted. Immediately, everyone stopped and gaped. The boys of Meiko knew that uniform all too well.

"Teikou?! What are you doing here?!" Kikuchi asked.

"Is Kise here?" Aomine asked.

"I'm Nijimura Shuuzou, nice to meet you." He said to cancel out Aomine's rudeness. "This brat here is Aomine Daiki."

"And what brings you here?" Kikuchi asked once again, the others were too much in shock to speak. "And Kise isn't here at the moment."

"I'm here because I want to play basketball." He smirked. He then shoved his bag onto Nijimura (who had to suppress his urge to punch the boy for it) and made his way towards the court. "Come, play me until Kise arrives."

Nijimura and Meiko gaped.

"Excuse me?" Hoshizumi said, finally finding his voice. "What was that?"

"I said play me until Kise comes."

"You bastard! Why should we? You waltz in here and started demanding things like you own the place! Get out!" Abe screeched.

"Haah?" Aomine looked unaffected. Nijimura kept quiet as this has nothing to do with him. He's just an innocent bystander. After all, seeing these boys, he's already conceived them to be bad news. One had bleached hair, one had piercings, one had a nasty scowl on his face and he wouldn't even get started on the one standing next to him.

"I wouldn't be here if your coach had accepted the practice match." He heard Aomine then say.

That seemed to set them off.

"That's it! You want a match, I'll give you one!" Masato roared.

"Good." Aomine grinned.

But little did Masato know that he just signed his death warrant.

_xxxx_

Ishikawa, Kise and Kuroko headed towards the gym, the others had already started practice, but Ishikawa needed to ask these two boys their opinions on having the match with Teikou. After all, out of everyone in the club, they knew Teikou the best. But as they neared the gym, the trio heard ruckus, and not the typical ruckus that they're used to.

Hastening their paces, they opened the gym doors, only to see Ogiwara on his fours with a bored looking Aomine standing before him.

"What's going on here?" Ishikawa's voice boomed. He was more confused than angry though.

"Well, Aomine suddenly walked in here, pissed us off before slaughtering us in a one-on-one." Kikuchi answered, practically summed up everything that happened. He then turned to look at Nijimura. "He was hauled here by Aomine as a guide apparently."

"I'm Nijimura Shuuzou." He bowed. "Sorry for Aomine's behaviour. He told me he was just going to visit a friend."

Meanwhile, Kise and Kuroko gaped. They hadn't anticipated this, and even wondered how Aomine found their school. But as they looked around; Masato, Hayato, Abe's faces looked a bit despondent. Ogiwara was still on the floor, seeming to be in shock.

The memories of their previous lives came rushing back, and something within Kise snapped. He didn't want to see Meiko like _this_ for the second time. What Teikou did to them in his past life was far too evil, and he swore to himself that he'll prevent it. So how come it turned out this way? Was Meiko just cursed to be slaughtered by the hands of Teikou?

"I'm sorry Kurokocchi." Kise whispered to his partner.

Seeing the anger blazing in his brown eyes, Kuroko knew what the blond was going to do. "Go on. Just don't give away too much." The light-blue haired teen said as he pat him on his back.

Kise grinned his gratitude. He made his way into the gym and when Aomine saw the blond heading towards him, a wide grin that stretched from one ear to the next appeared.

"Took you long enough." Aomine said.

"You know, you could have called." Kise said, the anger was clear in his voice. "But you didn't have to do this to my team!"

"It's fine, Kise." Ogiwara said.

"No it's not! Aren't you ―?!"

"We're fine." The brunet replied. "Well of course this is a rude awakening, but it'll take a little more than this to get us down these days. As they say, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger, right?"

Kise felt relieved. Inside, he had been worrying that they'd give up altogether and spiral into depression. But, he guessed he was wrong.

"Still, I'd like you to take revenge." Ogiwara continued. "Hayato and Masato are pretty pissed right now."

"Don't worry, I will."

Aomine smiled. Every bone in his body was rearing to go, but another part of him prayed that Kise won't let him down. The others he faced had spirit, but not enough. They weren't as ferocious as Kise was, and he could tell that one point, they had given up.

"I'm on offense, Aominecchi." Kise said. "We may end up using the entire court too."

"Fine by me." The tanned ace threw the ball to Kise and immediately the atmosphere in the gym shifted.

When Kise caught the ball, he immediately made a beeline for Aomine's net, but the ace stopped him in his tracks. But the amount of pressure he felt from Kise made him grin.

_This is going to be exciting._

Within a split second, Kise made a crossover and dashed around Aomine, the ace now chasing. By the time Kise reached the net and jumped to make a shot Aomine knocked the ball from his hands and the two boys could be seen scrambling for it.

Aomine managed to catch it, and headed towards Kise's net. Kise purposely lagged behind Aomine but the ace didn't seem to notice the blond's plan. Reaching into the paint, Aomine jumped for a shot, but then, he saw a shadow loom over him. In that instant he froze, Kise used this chance to block the shot.

_What was that?!_ Aomine thought as he landed on his feet. That block felt all too familiar.

He regained his composure after seeing Kise sprint away towards his net. He caught up with the blond, but Kise shook his head. Kise jumped to make the shot, Aomine jumped for the block as well. However, Kise switched his ball-hand from right to left and made a beautiful double clutch.

"You bastard, since when could you do that?" Aomine joked.

"I haven't been slacking off these past months you know." Kise replied. Kise then retreated to defend, Aomine smiling uncontrollably. He then charged at the blond with an even faster speed, but Kise could see him, after all, the older Aomine was by far faster.

When Kise blocked Aomine, he swiftly made a crossover to pass Kise on his left. However, Kise blocked him then. Aomine shifted to the right, Kise still blocked him. The fire that burned in the blond's eyes was making Aomine overflow with joy. He then took a step back and then surged forwards, flying past Kise.

Kise smirked.

Doing what the older Aomine had done in their high school, he knocked the ball from the ace's hands via a back-tip. Kise's laughter rang out in the gym and Ishikawa had to wonder if the blond was getting insane.

Kise bolted downcourt but Aomine was swift. He ran beside Kise, not allowing the blond to make the moves that he wanted. Seeing that he may get trapped at the baseline, Kise bounced the ball through Aomine's legs and dashed around him.

He then made a shot, it went in smoothly.

Without hitch, Aomine retrieved the ball and dashed off. Kise was a little late on that, but he caught him back. Aomine went into shooting form since he was in the perfect range of shooting a three. This totally took the blond by surprise, as he's never seen Aomine shot a normal three before. But then again, it could've been so long that he simply forgot.

"I'm not a dunking monkey you know."

Kise let out a chuckle. He remembered the days when Midorima would always berate both he and Aomine about only dunking and not trying to make threes as well.

"That's great." Kise nodded as he retrieved the ball. He dashed off once again, Aomine trying to block him and in the midst of doing so, steal the ball as well. But with the amount of experience Kise has under his belt, Aomine had no chance.

Kise started to dribble the ball extremely fast, but it wasn't as though he was trying to use ankle break. Finally, Kise shifted to the left but moved to the right instead, getting away from Aomine. He thundered towards the net, Aomine hot on his tail. Reaching at the paint area, Aomine had caught up and blocked him but in that moment, Kise brought the ball to his right side and jumped.

He slammed the ball through the hoop, leaving everyone (minus Kuroko) in awe. The force in which he dunked had the hoop bent, the onlookers thinking that he would have ripped it off the backboard.

He then looked across to the sidelines, and saw Kuroko with two thumbs up, his usual deadpan expression on his face. Ishikawa and Kikuchi looked absolutely shocked, his other teammates having grins on their faces. But he knew what Kuroko's thumbs up meant.

"We have practice, so we can't do this all day long." Kise said. He then looked to Kikuchi. "Give us five more minutes!"

"What?! Just five?!" Aomine asked.

"Don't be greedy! Don't you have practice too?!"

"But ―!"

"No buts! We have to prepare for the Tournament! Unlike you guys, we aren't a bunch of powerhouses."

"Begin!" Kikuchi shouted.

And just like that, sparks flew. Aomine held nothing back, but not for Kise. He had to restrain himself for two reasons; he didn't want Aomine to know what he was fully capable of yet and the other being that if he should play at full throttle, his legs would give out.

Back and forth the two boys went, Nijimura in awe at what he was seeing. He knew Aomine was fast, but to see someone matching his speed was a first. But that wasn't all, the blond as actually playing head-to-head with him and not backing down. Instead, Nijimura saw vengeance and determination in the blond's eyes.

But for Kise's teammates, seeing him now made them realize that all this time the blond had been pretending. They knew he was always holding back and that he was better than they were, but to be able to go head-to-head with a demon from Teikou is on a different level.

At one instance, Aomine had blocked Kise from the net, but the blond simply spun on his right leg to get around Aomine and dunked the ball. But Aomine would retaliate and head downcourt with a speed like no other to make a layup or a bank shot. Kise tried to catch him but couldn't since he was keeping a low profile (well, as low as possible).

In another instance, Meiko, Nijimura and Aomine saw the 'crazy' side of Kise. Yet again the blond was being blocked as he was about to make a shot; Aomine being wary of his double clutch. Sensing that he couldn't do that move, Kise then threw the ball against the backboard, causing it to fly back to the court. Changing his speed, Kise returned to the ground, quickly snatching the ball and got into shooting form.

Without hitch, he released the ball, sending a smirk to Aomine.

Their match continued on like that, however, Kise toned it down after a while. He still stood up against Aomine, Aomine loving every moment of it. Their little match brought tears of joy, the thrill, the excitement, the adrenaline…everything…Aomine had deeply missed these feelings. Ever since he had been getting better at the sport, he couldn't tell when the last time was since he had smiled and enjoyed playing basketball.

_Kise, you're a life-saver._

But before they knew it, the five minutes was up and both boys had to stop. For Aomine it was heartbreaking, but for Kise it was a relief. Any more and he would probably lose himself and really go full power.

Aomine walked over to Ishikawa and bowed respectfully, "I'm sorry that I disrupted your practice."

"It's okay. At least you brought out a side to one of my players I've never seen." Ishikawa said. But then his face darkened as he placed a hand on Aomine's shoulder. "But now that you've done this, it means you don't want the practice match, right?" Yes, Ishikawa had been informed by his boys the changes that re happening in Teikou.

"Of course I ―"

"Cancel it!" Hayato and Abe roared.

"He already got what he wanted!" Ogiwara screeched. Ishikawa shivered as he looked at the boy. He's spending too much time with Kise, as the blond is the only one in the team to screech like that. "We'll get our revenge on national television instead!"

Aomine looked shocked and hurt. "You can't do this to me!"

"Yes we can! We're the ones who agreed to the match, but you came and ruined your opportunity! This is what you get for being impatient!"

"What?! You brat, I wasn't being impatient! I just wanted to play a good match that's all!"

Kuroko let out a sigh, Kise could only laugh at their behaviour. Nijimura, he didn't know what was going on, so he really didn't care. But, one thing was for sure, this team could be dangerous in the Winter. The five that he's saw play today were skilled, no doubt and he had a gut feeling that there were more to them than meets the eye.

On that note, his eyes then trailed over to Kise who was sitting on the court and gluttonously drinking water. Never before has he ever seen another player go head-to-head with Aomine. They tend to up give up midway and let their ace feel despaired. But this boy…he's a gem. He's here at this school which when compared to Teikou or other schools, their facilities are pretty normal. To produce this level of ability, either their coach's skills are top-notch or he's a prodigy that Teikou didn't manage to get their hands on.

Nijimura then glanced at his watch, and saw the time. They needed to get back to practice, fast.

"Sorry but we have to go." Nijimura said to Kikuchi. "Thanks for allowing this brat to play."

Kikuchi shook his head. "It's fine. We'll play you guys eventually, so what's the harm in doing things a little bit early?" Here, the manager actually grinned.

Nijimura then called Aomine and the two left after bidding farewell and saying their thanks. However, when they were a few steps away from the gym, they heard someone call out to them. At first glance, they didn't notice him but when he introduced himself, they shrieked, Nijimura complaining that he nearly had heart failure.

"Kuroko! What's wrong with you?" Aomine snapped.

"Nothing. Do I look sick to you?"

"No well, ―" he broke off due to Nijimura.

"Is there something you want to talk about?"

"Yes, when you get back, tell Coach Shirogane to watch his health. Or at least tell him to go to a doctor as soon as possible."

Nijimura and Aomine raised their eyebrows.

"I know this because my uncle is a doctor and he's been his patient. So, please, I really don't want anything to happen to your coach." Kuroko half-lied.

The Teikou boys let out a breath of relief. Hearing Kuroko's first sentence was really creepy. With that, Kuroko then returned to the gym, where he was assaulted by Kise, Nijimura and Aomine laughed at their antics.

_xxxx_

"So how'd you meet them?" Nijimura asked. "I find it hard to believe that one day you abruptly came to Saitama."

"No, they were in the third sting."

Nijimura choked on his spit. "That golden egg was in the _third string_?! Are you lying to me?! Are you?!"

"No I'm not!" Aomine responded quickly to save himself. Nijimura's fists were hovering threateningly close to his face. "They really were. I've never seen Kuroko play before so I don't know what he's like. But Kise…" He trailed off to look through the window. "When he was in the third string, he couldn't even dribble properly."

"How'd you know that?"

"Because he was my practice partner. One day I had stumbled upon them practicing after hours in the third gym. Ever since then, Kise and I would have one-on-ones."

"Aren't you a bit evil? A Regular having one-on-one with a third stringer? Were you trying to crush his hopes or something?"

"No! But every time we played, Kise would come at me like he wanted to kill me or something. He was fierce, determined…no matter how many times I beat his ass, he never gave up."

"I see." Nijimura nodded. Seeing Aomine like this was actually soothing. Every time he saw the tanned ace at practice, he either had a scowl, a bored expression or he was arguing with someone. The Aomine beside him almost seemed to be someone else. He was smiling…grinning even, and looked like a child who just got a brand new toy. "But seeing that the blond almost beat you today, you know what that means for the tournament, right?"

Aomine laughed. "Of course. And I can't wait."

They made it back to Teikou after some minutes, luckily the caught the bus and the train that was about to move off. And as Nijimura had said earlier, with Aomine returning to school with the former captain, no one really attacked him. Everyone speculated that he was with Nijimura all that time.

But, Aomine's attitude didn't miss anyone.

He entered the gym with an air of radiance about him, and he played basketball like he wasn't a sulking mess on prior days. Practice went on, the players found it hard to concentrate. Aomine was playing, but he wasn't complaining. He kept murmuring to himself things like 'no, that won't do' or 'Kise will definitely get faster' and things totally not pertaining to Teikou. There were even times when he asked Nijimura to watch him and tell him if it will be 'effective'.

But against what? No one knows.

However, Akashi wanted to know what caused the sudden and abrupt change in Aomine. He hasn't even argued with Haizaki since he came back and the silver haired teen has been spitting out insults after insults as usual.

"Nijimura-senpai." Akashi called out.

"Hmm? What's it Akashi?"

"What's wrong with Aomine? Why has he been acting so…strange?" Akashi wanted to find another word, but strange is befitting currently.

"Well, let's just say he's found an interesting playmate." Nijimura said. But at the same time, Akashi saw the former captain shudder. "And we'll be in trouble if we don't get our acts together by winter."

"Is that so?" Akashi said with a smirk.

"Oh yes. If Aomine ―rather, if any of you aren't careful, Teikou will lose the tournament."

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	28. Chapter 28

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" _Believe you can, and you're halfway there."_

\- Theodore Roosevelt.

 

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After the incident with Aomine and Nijimura, Meiko couldn't practice that day. Hayato, Masato and Abe were raging messes; eventually taking out their stresses on the poor balls. While Hayato practiced his quick release, he constantly screamed out his revenge-laden thoughts, Abe and Masato adding to it as well.

Ogiwara went on a dribbling spree, darting from one half of the court to the next. He would switch from crossover dribble to regular dribble to all sorts of things. He even roped in Mochida for defense, and well, the centre never declined.

"While I admire your zeal to practice, remember that you need to be in the best of health at all times." Ishikawa said. He was glad that playing Aomine had this positive effect on them, as when he had entered the gym when Aomine was here, the look they had made him worry. "But please don't overdo it."

The four boys froze but sent a glare towards their coach. A smile escaped his lips as he knew what that look meant. They were angry. And they won't be satisfied until blood is split.

But, they were still ill-mannered children. So with a vicious glare, Ishikawa said, "What are you, stupid? Practicing on raging emotions won't make you better. _Now get your asses over here and listen up._ "

The quartet stiffened for a brief moment but then hurriedly made their way to their coach, so too the others. When they had assembled, Ishikawa let out a sigh.

"You four, what did you notice when you played Aomine?" he asked.

"That we're a millennium too early to challenge Teikou?" Masato said.

Ishikawa gave him a blank stare. "No." He then looked at the rest of the team. "For the rest of you, how many times do you think you'd be able to stop Aomine?"

"Absolutely none." Hoshizumi answered. "Well, maybe if I did what Kise did and waited for when he's about to make a shot I sneak up and knock it from his hands."

"And you think that his other four teammates will allow that?" Ishikawa countered. Hoshizumi paused. "Don't get me wrong, that strategy is indeed a good one. But when you take into consideration that there are four other opponents…"

"Well, I leave the other four opponents to my other four teammates." The captain then perked. "It's a team sport after all."

"And what if they can't stop them?"

"Then we…umm…" Hoshizumi couldn't find an answer. One thing though, 'give up' didn't cross his mind not even once.

"Coach, it's simple." Kise spoke up. "If Aomine gets two points, all we have to do is get three the next time around."

Ishikawa smiled. "That is right, but take into consideration that their centre doesn't move from the net, how will you approach that?"

"It's simple." Kise started again. "Murasakibara can't block a shot if he's already jumping." He then smirked. "But if that doesn't work, we'll just have to break out our secret weapon."

"Secret weapon?"

" _Yes,_ my beloved Kurokocchi." He grinned. "Murasakibara can't block what he can't see, right?"

"Wait, can Kuroko even shoot?" Hayato asked. "I've never seen him do it."

"Kurokocchi is amazing. Simply put." Kise grinned. This left their teammates in wonder for a while but then Ishikawa got back on track.

"Anyway, I want you to think about this. You know your weaknesses; you know your enemies' strengths. I'm giving you tomorrow off." With that, Ishikawa left, leaving the boys in the gym.

Kise let out an exasperated sigh. He then looked at Kuroko and said, "Kurokocchi, I guess we should get cracking."

"I think so as well."

"Ogiwaracchi! Masatocchi! Come with me for a sec!" Kise chirped as he took up a basketball, ignoring Masato's shout of 'Don't call me that!', while Kuroko went over to Abe and Kikuchi and hauled them to one side.

_xxxx_

At home, Akashi couldn't help but remember practice. More like, Aomine. He was smiling, he was practicing seriously, he was _happy_. But Nijimura's words lingered in his head…

_He's found an interesting playmate._

But who could he have found? Everyone they've played always gave up midway, so there was another player out there that could satisfy Aomine? If so, where has he been all this time? Akashi cursed himself for not asking the two boys where they had gone at practice time. Well, he knew Nijimura went to look for his father, but how did Aomine manage to meet him? _And_ find someone to play basketball with?

Akashi raked a hand through his red hair.

It wasn't as though he was stressed out; it was just that this was too interesting. But then again, this 'playmate' was just one person. There hasn't been a single school to oppose them. Kaminata had given them a hard time, but that was because they were using dirty techniques.

Unable to bear this, he took up his phone and called Momoi. She always has the right amount of information for anything he asks for. After a couple of rings, she picked up.

" _Akashi-kun?"_

"Ah, good day Momoi-san." He started. "Do you know where Aomine-kun went today?"

" _He went to Meiko, apparently."_

"Meiko?" Akashi raised an eyebrow. There was a school with a similar name to them and he didn't know?

" _Yeah, they aren't a strong school. But Dai-chan said that the only one who could help him was there and he went. He said sadly he ran into Nijimura-senpai along the way, though."_ She said the last part with a chuckle.

"I see. But who is this person?"

" _Umm, Kise Ryouta-kun. He was a third stringer here and apparently he was supposed to enter the first string."_

The phone almost fell out of his hands. Kise Ryouta. That was the name of his former blond classmate and the same boy who he thought had potential. Akashi nearly cursed. How could he have let this golden egg slipped through his fingers?

"Does Nijimura-senpai have a video?"

" _No. He was too caught up in the match to even think. When I spoke to him he said that blond is going to be dangerous this winter."_

"I see. Thank you for your time." With that, he hung up the phone, and lied down in his bed. "Kise Ryouta huh? I guess I have to go see him for myself."

_xxxx_

And so the weeks carried on, the boys at Meiko trained with everything they've got. There was only one goal in mind ―to win the Winter Tournament. Ever since the meeting with Aomine; in Ishikawa's eyes, it was like a switch had flipped in them. There was much more focus in his boys' eyes, and practice these days were mostly silent. Apart from the little instructions that came out of Kise's mouth and the questions that the others would ask, only the sounds of the ball and sneakers could be heard in the gym.

Ishikawa even took them to another camp, however, this time for only three days. It was a combined camp with three other schools and his boys had done him proud. Thanks to the beach training and their own tenacity, they've been able to win against these teams a couple of times.

After that, they were given a break, since it was coming down to Christmas.

During the holidays, Kise and Kuroko went out on many dates, the blond seeming like the happiest boy in the world. They went to movies, they went to amusement parks; another time they just went shopping for new basketball shoes, among many other things.

There was even a time where Kise had invited Kuroko to his house, and World War III almost broke out. Hikaru had opposed his son going into 'the den of scoundrels' while Ryouhei was saying that 'his son is a ball of sunshine and not a scoundel' and somehow they got in range of each other and only their wives could stop them from killing each other.

But, before they knew it, the holidays came to an end.

_xxxx_

School reopened, but the boys of Meiko were tense with excitement. It was finally the start of the Winter Tournament. Ishikawa had tried to get them to calm down and relax, but they were far from it. And what was even worse, it wasn't that they were nervous, they were just upset that all the journalists were flocking (mostly) Teikou and the other top teams.

Hayato and Abe were swearing about how 'by the time the tournament ends, they'll be bowing down to them'. Kise, on the other hand, was ducking behind his teammates seemingly hiding from someone. Ishikawa shrugged, thinking that maybe because he models he didn't want unnecessary attention or it could be that he was hiding from Aomine.

But he failed miserably.

The tanned ace had spotted the team and came jogging over with a big grin on his face. Kise slid behind Mochida but of course, the centre side-stepped and cause him to be in full view.

"Kise!" Aomine perked as he slung an arm around his shoulders. "You've made it!"

"Ah, yeah," Kise said with a nervous chuckle. "Prepare to get your ass kicked."

"Hoh? We'll see about that!" Aomine then looked around as though searching for something. "Kuroko's here, isn't he?" he asked.

"I'm right here." The boy deadpanned.

Aomine let out a shriek as he gripped the fabric at his chest. "Kuroko! Do you want me to die of a heart attack?!"

"That would lessen our workload for when we meet Teikou." Masato mumbled, thankfully, only those near him heard.

"But I've standing here the whole time." Kuroko replied.

Aomine sighed. "Why am I not surprised?"

But seeing Aomine talking and laughing with a group of people they've never seen, Teikou's eyebrows were raised. But when the blond came into the picture, Akashi couldn't help himself. He headed over as well, since he had wanted to meet Kise but hadn't gotten the chance to.

"Hello." He greeted. Immediately they froze, the air oozing out of him screamed intimidation.

"Hi." Kikuchi managed to say.

"Is there something you want?" Hoshizumi asked.

"Akashi! What are you doing over here?" Aomine asked going closer to the redhead.

"I'd like to speak to Kise-kun."

"Is it that you remember me or you're interested in me because Aominecchi?" Kise asked.

Akashi made a light chuckle. "You're smart. It's actually both." But his face became serious. "Why did you leave Teikou?"

"My family moved." It was the same answer he gave to Aomine the day he called him over the phone.

"Oh, I see. Well, good luck in the tournament. I hope our teams will be able to meet each other."

"Thanks, good luck to you too." Kise said, ignoring Hayato's 'As if those demons need it'. "And don't worry, we'll meet."

With that, the two Teikou players headed back over to the others.

Thus, the Winter Tournament kicked off, Meiko didn't know if it was luck or something else, but Teikou was playing first. Quickly, after the opening ceremony, they made their way into the audience to spectate the match.

After a while, two teams marched out onto the court, Teikou Middle and Matsuru Middle. Of course, the crowd went into a frenzy at the sight of the Summer champions, hardly anyone cared about Matsuru. The two teams then changed into their jerseys and headed out onto the court to line up after which the two centres were left in the middle.

The referee then threw up the ball, both boys reaching for the tip-off.

_xxxx_

"Game Over! One hundred and forty-five to fifty, Teikou Middle School wins!"

"Thank you for the game!"

In the audience, Meiko were stunned. But only Kise and Kuroko had looks of unease. Aomine wasn't wild and careless like they're used to, he was still unstoppable and had unreasonable speed and agility, but thanks to his one-on-one with Kise, it seemed to have stalled the disaster. However, something was still not right. Aomine didn't look like he had enjoyed the match. It seemed to them that he only played because his coach ordered him to.

As always, Midorima's shots never missed and they all went in the net with a graceful arc. He was also shooting from the centre-circle, but he didn't do it often, like his future self.

Murasakibara stayed rooted at the net with his usual lazy expression. He stopped the enemy's offense many times and at one point, Matsuru seemed to have given up.

Haizaki was pillaging everyone's moves as usual but strangely, he seemed to most normal out of all of them. By watching him on the court, they saw that he was the same typical thirteen year old Haizaki they'd known before, even though his skills seemed a bit sharper than previous.

Akashi seemed alright as well. At least, he didn't have heterochromia. His passes were precise as they were used to; his shots were clean as well.

When the teams had exited the court, as if being able to read each other's minds, both Kise and Kuroko started,

"I have a bad feeling."

Pausing, the two boys huddled together ―Kise throwing an arm around Kuroko's neck to pull the boy closer. That way, they could talk without anyone else hearing.

"Bad feeling about what exactly?" Kise asked, whispering into Kuroko's ear.

"I think Aomine-kun feels that basketball is boring if he isn't playing you." Kuroko replied likewise to Kise.

Kise let out a sigh. "You said it. This is the very same thing I was afraid of." He then placed his cheek on top of Kuroko's head. "I'm going to have to face all that pent-up frustration… _again._ "

"Look on the bright side,"

"What bright side? To me, looking at Teikou is the same as looking into an abyss."

Kuroko chuckled. "At least Akashi-kun and Haizaki-kun seem to be normal. Apart from their skills, I don't see any drastic personality change."

"Well, Shougo-kun never met me, so I don't think his disgusting personality would take a turn for the worst. But Akashicchi…I think he's _too_ normal at this moment."

Kuroko raised an eyebrow.

"I mean, Midorimacchi can shoot from the centre, Murasakibaracchi's defense is almost impregnable, Aominecchi and Shougo-kun both have speed and agility. But Akashicchi is still the same with a couple improvements." He then raked a hand through his hair. "I wouldn't be surprised if by the time the finals arrive, we'll be facing an Akashicchi with heterochromia."

Kuroko sucked in a breath. Kise was right. Surprisingly so. But if that were to happen, then something would have triggered a match between Murasakibara and Akashi. But the problem is…what would be the trigger? In their previous lives, it was because Aomine didn't need to come to practice and Murasakibara thought it wasn't fair.

However, this time around, according to Momoi (she texts Ogiwara quite often), Aomine has been practicing. And with Aomine's skills getting better and better, the others are going to want to get better too. Therefore, no one should be skipping practice; after all, they are quite competitive with each other.

Kuroko realized something.

"With each of them getting better, Akashi-kun may feel like he's being left behind. And as the captain, that can't happen."

"Exactly." Kise nodded in agreement. "But, frankly, if it's going to happen, I rather it happens before our match."

"Really?"

"Yeah, because I wouldn't want when we're playing and defeat is looming over their heads, the other Akashi comes out and starts slaughtering us." Kise shivered as he said this. "It won't end well."

"Alright, boys, the second match is about to start, we have to go get ready." Ishikawa said. The boys got up and followed their coach to the locker rooms since they were match three.

However, when they sat down, Ishikawa noticed that his boys were calm. With a smile, he closed the door behind him and said,

"Let's go over our plans one last time, shall we?"

"Yes sir!"

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	29. Chapter 29

...

...

 

" _In order to succeed, we must first believe that we can."_

\- Nikos Kazantzakis.

 

...

...

 

_Meiko won their match in round one against Shoin Middle, they moved on to round two. There, they faced Sumeragi Middle. Their team was a usual one, good offense, good defense and everything else in between. Sticking to their plan, Masato and Hayato swapped positions, add to that, Masato had bleached his hair blond and wore the same hairstyle as Hayato. No one knew them different. That said, Meiko won Sumeragi by a narrow margin (like they planned) 63 – 60._

_For round three, they faced Asano Middle. This team was highly reliant on defense, but they stood no chance against Abe and Kuroko's passing. Kise played in this match as well and he along with Kikuchi made a pretty good offensive duo. Mochida, as always, kept their net safe. They won 79 – 77._

_Round four they faced Musashino, and this time, Meiko's line-up went back to the same as the first match ―Hoshizumi, Kikuchi, Mochida, Ogiwara and Abe. The first quarter had gone to Musashino, but after the break (Ishikawa and Kise giving them a change of strategies), they won them 84 – 75._

_Meiko was now in the quarter-finals._

_On Teikou's end, they completely crushed their opponents. The first match the Miracles had played, but in round two they faced Joshi. In this match, Shirogane made the second years play, resting his promising first years for harder opponents. Nijimura and company were no different than their kouhai, crushing their opponents 112 – 83._

_Their third match was against Kaishin Middle. Yet again, they couldn't stop Teikou. With Momoi's excellent scouting abilities, the boys were once again able to defeat their enemies 120 – 79._

_Their fourth match was against Todaiji Middle, and this time, the Miracles played yet again. As usual, Aomine had a bored look on his face, since all that was on his mind was Kise. Haizaki seemed excited; this was all due to the quota that Akashi had set. He was currently ahead of Aomine in this regard and he was eager to keep it that way. Midorima didn't care about anything as long as he made his threes. Murasakibara yawned lazily, and dreaded for the match to be over soon to get some snacks. Akashi, just wanted to win._

_But, not a surprise to anyone, Teikou destroyed their opponents, 150 – 55, due to Murasakibara getting pissed and Midorima being ruthless with his threes._

_Thus, Teikou moved onto the quarter-finals. Which, to everyone, was not a surprise._

_xxxx_

"Okay boys! Are you settled?" Ishikawa asked. He held a DVD in his hand and stood before a TV. Currently, they were in the clubroom, getting ready to for a strategy meeting. For the quarter-finals, their opponents would be Waseda, and there was one player that stood out the most ―Hayama Kotarou with his lightning dribble.

"Hai!" they chorused.

Ishikawa played the DVD, the boys watching it with focused eyes. As the match continued, Kise and Kuroko heard the others let out gasps and sighs, sucked in their breaths and groaned in agony. Ishikawa wasn't fazed, either because he didn't want to alarm them, or he watched the DVD prior. But for Kise and Kuroko, they knew about Hayama and his dribble from their previous lives, however, they never got to play him.

Still, Kise had a look on his face. And knowing this look, Kuroko knew what the blond was thinking. In their upcoming match, Kise is going to copy Hayama's dribble. The light-blue haired teen thinks nothing of it, because if Kise could copy the Miracles' moves, he's not surprised that he could copy Hayama's dribble.

Minutes later the match concluded, and the other members of Meiko let out a sigh.

"That dribble is obnoxious." Hayato said. "How are we going to stop that?"

Kise grinned at him. "Fret not, O great Yatogami-sama, your humble servant will take care of it."

"Humph!" Hayato said, going into his Yatogami persona. "Who said I was worrying?"

"So does that mean Kise knows how to stop it?" Ogiwara then asked.

"Nope, but Hayama will be my mark." He then looked to Ishikawa. "Is that okay coach?"

"Of course, you both are small forwards." He replied. "But do give Ogiwara a hint as well. He's playing too, you know."

"Then, let's get started!" Hoshizumi perked.

_xxxx_

But over by Teikou, something disastrous occurred. It was clear to everyone that the Miracles' abilities had grown too much; even Shirogane was thinking that they were starting to get out of control. However, Akashi seemed to be the one who got them in order and does the damage control. But, it just so happened that when Shirogane went for a check-up at the doctor (Nijimura and Aomine told him the lie Kuroko told them), and was unable to come to practice that day. Nijimura went to visit his father, which meant, the two people who could avert the next world war were absent.

They were having a mini-match, and the Miracles had been split on different teams. Murasakibara, Midorima and a Senpai were on one team named Team A, while Akashi, Haizaki and Aomine were on the other named Team B. However, Team A was winning. It had stunned everyone there, as the team with the most lethal (so to speak) were losing.

With defeat grating on his nerves, Murasakibara added insult to injury by saying to Akashi, "I'm stronger than you, so why should I follow what you say?"

Hearing that, it severed the last bit of who was the real Akashi Seijuurou. Getting off the floor, the players noticed that there was a change in the redheaded teen; an aura oozed out of him that made everyone freeze.

"You're stronger than me?" Akashi said with a mocking tone, his heterochromatic eyes blazing with superiority. "I think your head is held too high."

After that, Akashi marked Murasakibara, and floored him. _Literally._ His balls were stolen within split seconds, Akashi used ankle break to get him to 'bow down' before him ―in essence, it was a crushing defeat.

Momoi who saw this couldn't believe what was happening, Sanada was so shocked that he almost fainted. But, he realized that these children may be getting too strong for their own good, and the sad thing was, no one could beat them.

_xxxx_

The day finally arrived, Winter Tournament Quarter-final one: Meiko vs. Waseda. In Meiko's locker room, there was a mix of activities; Hayato and Masato rubbing their hands together in a sinister way, Mochida and Ogiwara were playing janken for some strange reason, Hoshizumi and Kikuchi lay on the benches and stared up at the ceiling, Abe was asleep, Kise and Kuroko were cuddled up in a corner with Kise playing in Kuroko's hair. Ishikawa didn't mind this as they weren't panicking like when they were in the qualifiers. He chuckled at the thought, remembering Ogiwara saying that he was going to vomit and Mochida saying he was going to die of a heat stroke.

"Alright boys," Ishikawa then said. Immediately, all eyes were locked onto the coach. "It's almost time. Remember, just go out of there and execute the plan we devised. If Waseda brings out something new, don't panic, don't get flustered, just keep calm and try to find a solution. If you can't, leave it to me."

"Yes Sir!"

Finally, the time arrived for them to head out to the court. Meiko's boys were oozing with confidence, but they knew that once they stepped out onto the court, the crowd would be cheering for Waseda instead. After all, Meiko were a bunch of no-names.

They made their way onto the court and the starters ―Hoshizumi, Kikuchi, Abe, Mochida, and Ogiwara quickly changed into their green jersey. Hayato was being his usual Yatogami self, sprouting nonsense about receiving divine protection, and to make things worse, all five were playing along with him. Abe was a given, but Ogiwara…? He was even bowing down on one knee.

Kise and Kuroko cracked up with laughter; this team was just too much.

But just before they went out onto the court, they huddled together and placed their hands on top of each other's and then shouted, "Let's win this!"

With that, Meiko's starters headed out onto the court to assemble at the centre. Shortly after, Waseda's starters joined them and the two teams bowed to each other after which the centres were left to battle for the tip-off.

The referee threw the ball into the air, Mochida and Five jumped for it. It was a close one, but luckily, Mochida's fingers managed to graze the ball before Five's could. He passed it to Abe, who upon receiving it, made dash towards the net, barking out at the others to get into position. After two dribbles, Abe then passed the ball to Kikuchi, who stayed closer to the border line than anyone else.

Upon receiving it, Kikuchi quickly redirected it (Kuroko taught him) to Hoshizumi who was already by the left wing and free. Four tried to block him but it was too late. By the time he managed to get pass Mochida; Hoshizumi had already shot the ball, Meiko earning three points.

They quickly retreated to defend, at the same time they saw Five retrieved the ball and passed it to Ten. The others headed towards them, and thankfully, Hayama didn't have the ball as yet. Meiko prepped themselves, Ogiwara had all eyes out for Hayama.

Ten then stopped at the top-of-the-circle due to Abe, while the others made their way further. Seeing Hayama, Ogiwara quickly blocked him, even though he didn't have the ball.

Ten then passed the ball to Four who was by the left wing with Hoshizumi. And from their research, Meiko already knew that he was the shooting guard. Hoshizumi had little to no gaps in his defense, thanks to Kise's slave-like training.

Four clicked his tongue and looked at his other teammates. Hayama was guarded by Ogiwara, Seven faced Kikuchi in the paint, Five was free but he was hidden by the Ogiwara-Hayama pair. Ten was by the circle.

The best choice would be Five since he was free, but there's no way the ball would be able to reach him. So, with a step back, Four passed back the ball to Ten. Waseda's players grit their teeth in annoyance. Meiko's defense was good, and it was then that they realized that Meiko's were no weaklings.

However, with a smirk, Hayama broke away from Ogiwara, and it was then that Ten threw the ball to him. Ogiwara quickly caught him back, Hayama stopped. But…

_Boom._

That was the sound of the first dribble. Hearing this loud dribble, Meiko knew what was coming next. Ogiwara kept his eyes on the ball, not knowing that the lightning dribble was so fast that players didn't see the ball.

Two more dribbles and Ogiwara was starting to realize that he couldn't see the ball. And then in an instant, Hayama passed the brunet, seeming as though Ogiwara let him pass.

On the bench, Kise smirked. Kuroko looked at the boy and chuckled as he shook his head. He was in clear view of Hayama, so Kuroko wouldn't be surprised if when Kise is subbed on, he breaks out the lightning dribble as well.

_Kise-kun's skill is too much of a cheat. It should be banned._ He thought to himself. Hell, the Generation of Miracles (Haizaki included) should be banned for their unfair skills.

Kuroko refocused on the match in time to see Hayama pulled a double clutch on Mochida. Without hitch, Waseda went back to defend, Mochida retrieving the ball and gave it to Abe.

Once again, Meiko went on the offense. This time, the instant Abe crossed the centre and reached into Waseda's court, he quickly passed the ball to Hoshizumi who then, after three dribbles, passed it to Kikuchi.

Swiftly, the power forward headed directly towards Waseda's net, where he was yet again blocked by Seven. But within a moment's notice, Kikuchi spun on his right leg and made a turnaround to escape from the older boy.

But not wanting to lose the ball or get trapped, he made a quick pass to Mochida who made a layup. The centre was totally surprised by this, as he thought that Kikuchi would have passed to Ogiwara since he was closest. But then again, he'll never understand how Kikuchi thinks sometimes.

And so, with Meiko in the lead (for now), things began to get heated between the two teams, and neither was backing down. Waseda learned that Meiko were dangerous even though they were one of the lower ranked schools.

Abe coordinated pretty well with his teammates, creating plays and getting the ball around. But, Ten found out that Abe was more than just a point guard. He can be quite the manipulative bastard.

At one point, Ten thought that he had the boy cornered, but then he saw Abe break out some hand signs. Within a moment's notice, Meiko were moving about, causing their markers to move about as well. This caused chaos on the court, players crashing into each other and things like that. Another time, Ten thought that Abe had something built in his arms. The speed at which he passes the ball is scary.

In Four's eyes, Hoshizumi was pretty dangerous at the wing area. And what's worst, his teammates would time him just right and send the ball over to him when he reaches. It was somewhat unfair; being that Hoshizumi's other teammates would be so eye-catching…so _distracting_ that he wouldn't notice Hoshizumi at the wing area until was too late. Four wondered how they did it, because the captain wasn't invisible, as a matter of fact, Hoshizumi was the second most noticeable one on Meiko's team.

Speaking about noticeable people, Five and Mochida were battling it out. Despite being younger and more inexperienced, Mochida held a really good defense. Well, this was all because of Kise's antics, playing one-on-one with the blond and his spawns (Ogiwara, Masato, Kikuchi) forced him to increase his defense and his thinking. That said, Mochida blocked many (not all) shots and drives at the net, leaving Waseda sometimes amazed.

Ogiwara and Hayama were sometimes left in a world to themselves. While Ogiwara was pissed at the obnoxious dribble, Hayama was annoyed. While Ogiwara didn't have any special moves like he did, he was smart. Whenever Hayama got the ball, sometimes, Ogiwara stalls him until back-up arrives. And when that happens, he'd allow Hayama to break free, and then steal the ball via back-tip.

Another time, he'd chase Hayama and trap him either at the baseline or the edge. That way, Hayama's teammates won't even think of passing to him and thus, their offensive power is reduced.

For Seven, dealing with Kikuchi was like trying to reason with a madman. Many times, he managed to block the boy, be it his drive or his shots. But in those 'many times' Kikuchi goes off and does something crazy. If Seven stops his drive, Kikuchi passes the ball through his legs, even if there aren't any of his teammates to catch it. Another time, Seven saw Kikuchi made a bounce pass to the left while he was going right. But in the instant he shifted, Kikuchi moved left to snatch the ball and get away from him. At one point, Seven thought had to remind himself that this was a middle school boy and not a psycho who managed to get his hands on a jersey. On that note, he wondered where this crazy behaviour came from.

But unbeknownst to him, on the bench, Kise and Kuroko were wiping tears of joy at their marvellous creation.

Still Waseda weren't pushovers. They gave Meiko a hard time as well, putting their experience, height and other factors to good use. By the time the first half was over, Waseda was in the lead with twenty five points, while Meiko had eighteen.

Up in the audience, the Miracles and Momoi had come to watch (more like Momoi wanted to see Ogiwara in action and asked Aomine to follow her and somehow the rest of them tagged along). They had arrived at the beginning of the second quarter and were amazed at the scores.

"Hmm, Waseda's going good." Haizaki said. "But the other school has a bunch of psychos. I mean, I can't tell whether or not they're desperate or just not right in the head."

"Hmph. The other school has nothing worrying. It's obvious that they have no talent, I'm pretty sure that Waseda will demolish them in the coming half." Midorima said as he fixed his glasses.

"No way!" Momoi denied. "Shige-kun and his teammates are going to win!"

"How are you so sure Sa-chin?" Murasakibara drawled. "It's as Mido-chin said." But then he asked, "Who's 'Shige-kun'?"

"He-he-he's just a friend!" she said while turning away her face to hide the blush.

Murasakibara then turned to Aomine, "Mine-chin, who's 'Shige-kun'?"

"Her boyfriend." He answered lazily.

"He's not!" Momoi rejected.

"Her soon-to-be boyfriend." He changed his answer.

"Dai-chan!" she whined.

"Alright, alright, he's her prospective boyfriend."

At this point, Momoi gave up. But then, all eyes turned to look at Akashi who let out a sigh. He was the main reason the others came along with Momoi and Aomine, as he wanted to see 'Aomine's playmate' in action. But so far, the blond was on the bench. He was getting tired of this game, as the outcome of this game won't change the fact that Teikou will be overall champions. He just wanted to see the player that Aomine is so enraptured with.

Just then, the crowd roused up as the teams re-entered the court. When Teikou looked at Meiko's team, Aomine and Akashi had looks of expectation. Kise was in his jersey. Aomine leaned forwards, not wanting anything to block his view.

Meanwhile on the court, Kise was ready and rearing to go. Seeing Hayama's dribble so many times, he knows he's got it copied down to perfection. Ogiwara gave him and Kuroko a shove as they made their way out onto the court. Ogiwara and Abe were subbed off, for now, Kuroko and Kise were subbed on. There were no changes in Waseda's line-up.

"Ah, let the games begin." Kise smirked.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	30. Chapter 30

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...

 

 

" _Accept the challenges so that you can feel the exhilaration of victory."_

\- George S. Patton

 

...

...

 

Kise strolled into position with an air of confidence. He took his position near the top-of-the-circle where Kuroko was, while Hoshizumi was at the left wing, Kikuchi was in the paint, and Mochida was at the right wing closer to the net.

Seven then threw the ball in to Ten who received it with ease. Waseda then headed towards Meiko's court and noticed that the boys in green were in a zone defense. But it didn't faze them. By the time Ten reached to the top-of-the-circle where Kuroko was, within a blink, he stole the ball. Kise had already dashed off in the moment Kuroko stole the ball, and was already halfway across the court.

Kuroko then used his Ignite Pass to send the ball rocketing to Kise who made a three. He wanted to dunk it, but he figured to get the maximum points when they could. Kise then jogged back to his half of the court where he was greeted with high-fives and friendly nudges from the others.

However, Waseda were frightened at that play. One instance, they saw that the ball was stolen from Ten but in the next, they saw the blond player in their court shooting a three. Even their coach was shocked at such speed; he hadn't even realized when the ball had reached down there.

Five went to retrieve the ball and upon returning, he passed the ball to Ten since he was the point guard. But still, Ten was peeved. He looked around the court to see where Meiko's players were positioned, but he realized something dreadful; before him stood Kise and the pressure radiating off his body was enough to make him stiffen.

Ten then shifted to the right in an attempt to pass Kise but failed. He then tried the other direction and failed as well. Kise was stopping him. Kise then began to make steps forward, trying to force Ten back into his court. Ten realized what he was doing and swiftly passed the ball to Five who had come to his aid. Mochida followed behind his marker, as he knew what was going to happen next.

The instant Ten passed the ball; Kuroko intercepted it and passed it to Kise who after two dribbles passed it to Mochida. The centre made his way to the net unhindered and made a shot.

Kise applauded his teammate and ruffled his hair while he was at it.

But just then, the boys caught a glimpse of Ishikawa at the substitution box with Hayato and Masato beside him. It was time.

"Meiko member change!"

Kikuchi and Hoshizumi sauntered off the court in relief, while the Kaneshiro twins walked on like they owned the place. Waseda's starters looked on at the two with unease. They had played Kamata in the semis in the Summer Championships, and found that twins can be a real pain in the ass.

"Guys, be careful." Four said while looking at Hayato and Masato.

"You don't have to tell me that." Hayama said with a shrug of his shoulders. "Plus, I think the one who we should be on the look-out for is the other blond." He said this while eyeing Kise.

"I'll leave him to you." Four said. "Make sure you stop him."

"Aye sir," he responded.

The game restarted with Meiko on defense. Ten dribbled the ball until he reached into Meiko's court where he passed the ball to Hayama. Without hitch, the boy used his dribble to get pass the others and by the time he reached the net, he was blocked by Mochida.

However, using his double clutch, he managed to get around the centre and made his shot cleanly. But unbeknownst to him, Kise was grinning. The blond then looked across to Kuroko, and when their eyes met, Kuroko gave him a thumbs up with a small smile.

He knew what that meant.

Mochida retrieved the ball, and made a pass to Kuroko. He then dribbled (he could dribble since Kise taught him) towards the top-of-the-circle while everyone else had gone into their positions. And yes, Kuroko chose not to use misdirection. He was saving that for Teikou. But, as soon as he came in contact with Ten, he made a pass to the side without breaking eye contact with his opponent.

Hayato grabbed the ball and stormed towards the net. He was playing as the power forward while Masato was the shooting guard. However, when he reached into the paint, he was stopped by Seven. He then looked around to see where everyone else was.

He didn't know if it was luck or something else, but Kise was the closest one to him, and the one with the least likelihood of the ball being stolen. Mochida and Kuroko were too far away; Four was taller than Masato so he couldn't give him the ball in an overhead pass, so the only one left was Kise since he was taller than Hayama.

_Thank God,_ Hayato thought amusingly.

He took a step back from Seven after which he called out to the natural blond and threw the ball to him. On instinct, Kise jumped and caught it with ease, but Hayama was not going to let him go that easily.

There was some amount of pressure being emitted from the older teen, and if Kise hadn't been a time-traveller, he'd honestly seize up right there. Hayama's eyes were wild yet focused, and it somewhat reminded Kise of Aomine. Kise couldn't help but grin.

In that moment, Kise placed the ball in his right hand and leaned forwards. With three fingers, he dribbled the ball loudly, having it echoing throughout the gym leaving Waseda shocked. Kise continued to dribble, and when Hayama noticed that the ball was disappearing, he let out a gasp. Before he knew it, Kise had dribbled past and made his way towards the net.

Five guarded the net, and when Kise jumped to make a shot, Five jumped for the block as well. However, with a smirk, Kise made a double clutch and made a dunk. When he landed, he flashed a smirk towards Hayama who looked fazed.

"Isn't that…" Seven started, "… _Hayama's_ dribble and double clutch? How?"

Even Hayama was left frozen. That dribble was something that he invented. There hasn't been a single person who could do it, since it was _his._ So who the hell was this blond to be able to do his dribble?

Kise headed back to defend but Hayama stopped him.

"Oi, you," he started; it almost sounded like a snarl.

"Hmm?"

"How are you able to dribble like that?"

Kise smiled. "Because you gave me a show. Thank you, _Hayama-senpai._ "

With that, Kise skipped off merrily leaving Hayama to wonder.

But not even a second later he was back into his gear, and he was angry. No one should take his own dribble and make him look like a fool. He was going to get back at the blond for this.

That said, Waseda came back vicious, but that only caused Meiko to do the same.

The remainder of the third quarter was a battle between the two teams, but all eyes were on the blonds of both teams ―Kise and Hayama. The two small forwards stole the show, seeming to be at each other's throats.

Hayama maxed out his dribble to all five fingers and was absolutely ruthless. Whenever he got the ball, he weaved through Meiko's defense with his obnoxious dribble and even bypassing Mochida at the net.

However, as soon as Hayama does this, Kise would dish it back to Waseda with even more force. His copy of Hayama's dribble was even more dangerous than the original; add to that, Kise was faster. With Kuroko's fast passes, he cut through the Waseda's defense and makes a slam dunk, seeming as though he wanted to rip the hoop from the backboard.

Another time, Kise would stop Hayama in his tracks; either he uses a copy of Murasakibara at the net, or he uses Seiho's tactics of staying on the right side of the boy, forcing him to use his left hand. And this is where Kuroko would come in and steal the ball, sending it to Hayato, Masato or Mochida.

The audience was astounded by Meiko's ferocity; even Teikou couldn't help but watch. Akashi had an amused smile on his face, as seeing the blond play; he realized what Nijimura meant about Kise being Aomine's interesting playmate. But there was another part of him that was quite upset that he hadn't been able to secure the blond as an asset for Teikou.

In addition to that, Akashi had noticed something about Kise. Hayama's infamous lightning dribble that seemed to destroy opposing players' defense was mimicked perfectly by him. It was then that Akashi stole a glance into Haizaki's direction and wondered if the two were similar in their abilities.

As for Aomine, he was grinning from ear to ear. He was eager to play the blond in a match but the sad thing was that he wouldn't get to play him until the finals. Aomine leaned forward in anticipation and as he continued to watch, he realized that Kise was really amazing.

"I have a feeling that I won't like him." Haizaki said. "He seems like an awful lot like me."

"Haah?" Aomine drawled. "Kise isn't a little shit like you."

"You idiot!" Haizaki snapped back. "I was talking about abilities! _Abilities,_ you fool!"

"Pfft! Kise is way better than you." Aomine said as he leaned back.

"What was that?!" Haizaki looked like he was about to strangle the tanned ace.

"I've played him tons of times as he's managed to get me riled up. What have you been able to do to me?"

Haizaki twitched with rage. "Let's have a one-on-one then when we get back then."

"You're on!"

They refocused on the match in time to see Seven with the ball and was facing Hayato. The Yatogami kept him stalled for a while, and even made attempts to steal the ball. Thanks to this, Masato was able to come up to the older teen and assist his brother. They formed a double team around him, and seeing that the clock was ticking for a foul, Seven had to pass the ball and fast.

"Pass it to me!" Five had run up and said. But in that moment which Seven made the overhead pass to him, Kuroko stole it from him and Masato grabbed it with ease. He made his way to his spot and landed a three, albeit a bit shaky.

Waseda were quick to restart, and even though all five were hell-bent on revenge, Hayama emitted the most bloodlust. It wasn't that he hated Kise, it was the fact that the blond stole his dribble (and every other move he threw out) only to dish it back harder than he did.

To say he was pissed would be an understatement.

By the time Waseda entered Meiko's half of the court, Ten passed the ball to Five who with his big body, practically bulldozed his way through to the paint. There he handed the ball to Hayama, when Kise came up to block him, and swiftly he made his way to the net.

Hayato had tried to stop him, but with his five-fingered dribble, the Yatogami didn't stand a chance.

And once again, the match turned into a run-gun game, but the paces were different. When Waseda were on offense, they were fast-paced, almost seeming like blurs on the court; on the other hand, Meiko slowed it down whenever they had the ball, as Ishikawa had always told them, _play your own game and don't get swallowed up by the other team's pace._ With that hammered into their heads, Meiko took their time but Waseda kept getting agitated.

When the fourth quarter commenced, the crowd and Waseda noticed a change. Kise wasn't as ferocious as the last quarter; instead, it was the other two blonds that had become dangerous.

With all of Waseda's pent-up frustration from the third quarter, they failed to realize what was in store for them.

Mochida was subbed off since he has been playing from the first quarter and Hoshizumi was subbed on. The captain took Kise's space and marked Hayama while Kise took Mochida's space as the centre. Ishikawa believed that with Kise guarding their net, Waseda's attacks shouldn't be able to get pass him that easily.

Meiko's set up left everybody wondering.

Kise was in the paint and focused only on his left while Hoshizumi was in the free throw circle and focused only on his right. Masato was at the left wing of the three point line, Hayato was in the same position on the right, and Kuroko was at the top-of-the-circle.

When Waseda saw this, they realized how much of a pain this is going to be.

Should any of their players get past Kuroko, as soon as they enter the three point area, they'll be blocked. If they choose their left (Meiko's right), they'll be blocked by Hoshizumi and Hayato, with Kuroko being able to sneak up on them; on their right (Meiko's left) it's the same thing. Add to that, even if they somehow manage to get pass those guys, Kise is in the paint waiting.

Not knowing what to do, Ten passed the ball to Five while indicating to Seven. After a few dribbles and reaching near the three point area, he then passed it to Seven who darted for the net.

As Ten had suspected, Masato and Hoshizumi came for the block, but in that instant, it left the other side with only one defender. Seven bounced passed the ball to Hayama who blitzed past Hayato, ending up at Kise.

And like prior times, Hayama was stopped completely by Kise. He then decided to use his dribble and luckily, he managed to get past the blond. But as soon as he was about to make his shot, a shadow loomed over him and knocked the ball from his hands, sending it bouncing out.

Hayama looked at Kise in shock.

"I'm sorry Senpai, but I can't let you do that." Kise said.

Meanwhile, Aomine's eyes widen with realization. Back at Meiko when they had their one-on-one, he had experienced a block similar to that one and at the time, he felt that it was familiar. But seeing it now from above, it clicked. The reason for the block feeling familiar was simple. It was like Murasakibara's.

Aomine couldn't believe it.

There was no way Kise could reproduce a block from his teammate. Reasons being, Murasakibara is far taller than he was, and well, he was a centre while Kise is a small forward. While Kise's position require him to be versatile, to be able to block like a centre is impossible. Aomine raked a hand through his hair and wondered if he had been deceived by the blond. For someone who recently got better dribbling, his play is far too good to seem like an amateur.

But then again, it could be the coach. At this, Aomine's eyes darted to Ishikawa. While at Teikou, third stringers were only prone to matches with the other strings and that was only when they would be promoted if they showed promise. But from what he's heard from Momoi who heard from Ogiwara, Ishikawa gets them practice matches and all his boys participate.

"So Teikou was actually stifling his growth?" he mumbled to himself in disbelief.

"What was that Dai-chan?" Momoi asked as she heard him mumbled something.

"Nothing, nothing at all."

The crowd roused up, snapping Aomine back to the match. Kuroko had made a pass to Kise who quickly passed it to Hayato. The Yatogami headed into the paint, where he was stalled by Seven, however, using what he learnt from Kise, he pivoted on one foot making his back face Seven. But as he landed on his other foot, he turned around and headed into the other direction where (luckily) he managed to make a slam dunk.

"Yosha!" he shouted as he made a fist. "All you peasants should bow before me, the Great Yatogami!"

Everyone on Meiko cracked up with laughter, while Waseda looked confused. But, throwing that aside, Five quickly retrieved the ball and passed it to Ten. Waseda made their way back into Meiko's half and began their attack.

However, with Kuroko somewhat invisible, he stole the ball, Hayato and Masato following, Waseda giving chase. But as soon as the twins were close enough to him, he released the ball, Hayato snatching it up quickly while Masato headed towards his spot.

Four chased down Masato, while Seven managed to catch back Hayato. With a spin, Hayato bounced the ball to his captain who had run up in time. Hoshizumi then headed to the net, but Five had reached. With a smirk, Hoshizumi made a hook shot, and the ball landed safely through the hoop.

Hoshizumi then flashed Kise a grin and thumbs up, as he was taught that by the blond transfer. He then headed back with the rest of his team, waiting for Waseda's offense.

The other team were not amused, as looking at the scoreboard; both teams were tied on seventy-three points.

Thus, the pace of the fourth quarter picked-up but this time, Meiko felt like upping their speed as well. The game was in its final stages, and the boys felt like it was time to get this over with.

Thus, back and forth the teams went; Kise and Hayato making slam dunks, while Masato and Hoshizumi made threes whenever they could. Kuroko was the usual, stealing and passing around the balls. He made a good point guard, the only thing he's lacking is orchestrating the plays. He gets the ball to his teammates quickly and whenever they want it, making Waseda's defense unable to respond.

Waseda fought back as well, Hayama destroying his opponents with his dribble and animal instincts, but when he encountered Kise it would be a different story. The Copy-Cat kept him at bay but his teammates like Seven and Five would assist him by screening out Kise.

Seven would often time battle with Hayato, but facing the older twin was stressful. Apart from shooting threes, Hayato is awkward in everything he does. Seeing him dribble threw him off as he never knew what the bleached blond boy would do next.

Five tried his best as well, but whenever he faced Kise at the net, things would go terribly wrong. Kise's defense was no joke, and because of this Meiko's other players were able to trap him and steal the ball.

Four managed to get in some threes as well, although not as much as he would want. Hoshizumi made sure to stop him, since he was a shooting guard as well, he knew the tendencies that come with the position.

Ten did his best as a point guard, much to Abe's displeasure. He got the ball around splendidly to his teammates, and created many plays for them as well. It's just Kuroko throwing a wrench in his plans a lot of times.

The crowd loved the energy that the two teams had, but by the time match came to an end, a lot of people (and Teikou) were shocked at the outcome.

Meiko had beaten Waseda, 89 – 87.

The teams then lined up and greeted each other at the centre-circle as is customary, Hayama swearing to Kise that he'll beat him next time, and of course, Kise egging him on, telling him to bring it.

Up in the crowd, Akashi was very much interested in Kise and his partner. He never knew that Kuroko was a point guard when they met in Teikou and seeing him in action made Akashi smile. His passes were precise, almost seeming like pin-point targeting. The only fault Akashi found with him was that his defense was weak.

"Hmm, they need to come back to Teikou," he murmured to himself. But putting that thought aside, he stood up and left, the others followed behind him. They were quarter-final four, so they hadn't need to stay and watch any longer.

Momoi, lagged behind the group and message Ogiwara congratulating him on his team's victory.

_xxxx_

Meiko's locker room was quite noisy, the boys jumping and screaming in joy as they were now in the semi-finals. Hayato and Abe were hugging each other with tears streaming down their faces, Masato and Mochida were cheering like idiots, Ogiwara was on his phone texting Momoi and grinning too much, Kise and Kuroko were lost in their own world, Hoshizumi and Kikuchi watched them all like doting parents.

"Great job today boys!" Ishikawa said, applauding them.

"Thank you!" they chorused.

"So does that mean we're getting treated?" Mochida asked. "I am feeling hungry."

"Sure, what do you want?" Ishikawa asked.

"Yakiniku!" Mochida shouted.

"Okonomiyaki!" Hayato and Masato said.

"Ramen!" Abe screeched.

"Omelette Rice!" Ogiwara chirped.

"Can't we just go for popsicles?" Kise then asked. "I mean, it's ―"

"NO!" They barked at him, causing him to shrink behind Kuroko.

"Are you going against the divine will of the Great Yatogami?" Hayato shouted. "You insolent mortals! I'll smite you!"

"I was the one who asked Coach for a treat!" Mochida argued. "I have all right to choose what we eat!"

"No way!" Abe joined in. "Yakiniku is unhealthy at this stage of the game! We have the semi-finals the day after tomorrow! Meat takes three days to leave our system! _Three days!_ I can't play on a clogged up stomach! _"_ He basically screeched.

"Then don't!"

"You bastards!"

Meanwhile, Kikuchi and Hoshizumi watched it all go down. With a sigh, Ishikawa then clapped his hands together in order to get their attention. Immediately, all arguing ceased and they looked to their coach.

"Kikuchi, Hoshizumi, what do you want to eat?" he asked. The others who were arguing paled with that.

"I know a restaurant we could go to." Hoshizumi said. "Everyone can get what they want." He then looked across to Kise and Kuroko, "except for popsicles."

"Don't worry, since we're going to a restaurant, I'll eat my fill." He then looked Ishikawa. "Coach, prepare your pocket, I'm quite the heavy eater."

Ishikawa sighed. But he knew just how the blond could eat. The training camp proved to be the perfect learning place.

"I know that Kise," he said. "So hurry and get dressed, I don't have all the time in the world you know."

"Yes Sir!"

And before Ishikawa knew it, the boys were fully dressed and rearing to go.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	31. Chapter 31

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" _Now that we're here, now that we've come this far_

_Just hold on. There's nothing to fear."_

\- Daughtry _"What about now?"_

 

_..._

_..._

 

 

The clubroom's air was heavy with tension. The boys of Meiko had just finished watching a match of their next opponent and found that Tsurumibashi will be just as tough as Waseda was. Abe was on fire though, since Tsurumibashi's point guard was better than he was, he saw it as a challenge he needed to win. After all, Abe absolutely _hates_ when there's another point guard better than him.

However, for Kise and Kuroko, it was like confronting their previous future.

Tsurumibashi's point guard and shooting guard were none other than Kasamatsu Yukio and Moriyama Yoshitaka. Kise looked especially happy at this, a reason Kuroko couldn't decipher. Was it because he was meeting his previous future's Senpai?

Kuroko paused at that.

He just realized that he and Kise went to different high schools in their previous lives. When that time comes again, how will they decide that? There's still an attachment to Seirin for him and he knows that Kise (although he was often time kicked) has some attachment to Kaijou. Add to that, he's gotten quite close to the blond so much to the point that on the court, he can tell what Kise's thinking just by couple bodily movements.

The light-blue haired teen felt a headache coming on.

_Let's leave that for when the time comes,_ he resorted. But, his worrying expression didn't go unnoticed by Kise. With a raised brow, the blond asked,

"What's wrong, Kurokocchi?"

"Ah, nothing worth worrying over at the moment."

"At the moment?" Kise asked. "So, in essence, it's still something to worry over, just not right now."

"Yeah,"

Kise smirked. "Alright, when we win the Tournament you better tell me."

"Deal."

"…is not like Waseda, still." They were taken away from their discussion when they heard Hoshizumi spoke.

"I'm extremely surprised at their shooting guard." Hayato said. "I mean, he manages to make all those shots with that absurd posture."

"Pot calling kettle black," Masato snickered. "Why do you think you haven't been able to get Kise's ankle break right? Everything you do, except shooting, has an absurd posture."

Hayato glared at his brother.

"Haru, we'll perform an exorcism ritual later." He said looking at Abe.

"Hai, Yatogami-sama. I'll make the necessary preparations." The boy dubbed the High Priest responded.

Masato shivered and retreated behind Hoshizumi and Kikuchi. The latter two inched away from him, not wanting to get in the crossfire between them. As a matter of fact, the others steered clear from Masato, as they knew that Hayato's rage moments are nothing to sniff at.

"Alright boys, enough chit-chat. Let's get down to business." Ishikawa said to get them back on track. "I've already have a few ideas of my own, but I'd like to hear what schemes you lot came up with."

His rascals grinned. Ishikawa let out a chuckle. _These scheming brats,_

"You know, I've been wondering," Ogiwara started. He looked to Kise, "How is it that you could do Hayama's lightning dribble? It wasn't even a day that we watched their video, and how many times did he do it before you were subbed on?"

Kise looked unaffected. "Oh! I can copy any move I see with one look." He answered.

"Copy…?" Hoshizumi asked.

"…Any move?" Kikuchi added as well.

"Yep!"

Kise then saw the two boys rise up with dark auras around them, Ishikawa looked upset as well but he didn't move. They motioned towards the trembling blond who had ducked behind Kuroko.

"You had that skill and didn't even _think_ to tell us?!" Hoshizumi roared. "How could you?!"

"You never asked!" Kise defended.

" _We don't need to ask!_ " Kikuchi practically screamed at him.

"I'm sorry!" he whined.

"So Kise has the ability to copy other people's moves with just one look?" Hayato mumbled while rubbing his chin. "So does that mean you can copy the moves of Teikou's demons too?"

"Yeah, I can." He said with nonchalance. _I already have,_  he thought but decided not to say it out loud.

Meiko (minus Kuroko) gaped. They looked at each other before sharing malicious grins. Ishikawa kept mumbling something while scribbling in his notepad. Kise felt his end coming. He could feel it; they were going to milk him like a cow.

_xxxx_

Meiko made their way inside the venue with grins on their faces. They've actually made it to the semi-finals, and when they win this match, then it's the finals for them. They were ecstatic, and everything that one could imagine. They then headed to their locker room, where Ishikawa went over the game plan one last time.

"Let's go out there and win guys," Hoshizumi said when they all had assembled in a circle. "LET'S GO!"

"GO MEIKO!"

They headed out onto the court, but as they neared Tsurumibashi's locker room, they heard noise and ruckus, far worse than they were.

"Kasamatsu! Give me all the balls in this match!" they heard a boy cooed. "My cute goddess will be watching!"

"Haah?!" this voice sounded angry. "Why should Captain give you all the balls, Moriyama?! And plus, who knows if she came with her boyfriend? Better yet, if she's even your age!"

"Age is just a number." Moriyama responded. Judging by the tone of his voice, Hayato could imagine him doing a hair flip with a smug face.

"You idiot!" Kise perked up at the voice. It was none other than his previous future's captain, Kasamatsu Yukio. "Meiko managed to be beat Waseda! I'm not going to dig our graves by only passing to you! Plus, age does matter when choosing a girlfriend!"

"I think Moriyama-senpai is right! Age doesn't matter! In the end we're all going to wither and die, so why should we care how old our partner is?"

"You fool!" Another one spat. "How would you feel if your wife starts shrivelling before you do?! Do you know what that means? You won't be getting any ―"

"Alright, alright!" an older voice shouted to cut off the boy. Meiko had a feeling of what he was going to say anyway. "You're far too young to be taking about love and relationships. Right now, you have a match to win."

"Yes Sir!"

Not wanting to linger any longer (and for Tsurumibashi to find out that they were eavesdropping), Meiko quickly left and headed out onto the court. Either they were early, or the other school was just late. Well, they deduced that it's probably the latter since they were busy arguing about love. Soon, Tsurumibashi arrived and if Meiko hadn't heard their locker room conversation, they would have thought differently about them.

When the boys placed their belongings on their bench, Kise couldn't help but stare over at Tsurumibashi. Seeing his two future Senpai arguing and bickering like he's used to, was actually quite refreshing. But it was now that he understood why Kasamatsu and Moriyama were always on such good terms at Kaijou.

However, Kasamatsu looked across to see Kise staring at him and Moriyama. Feeling a chill run up his spine, the older teen ducked behind Moriyama to avoid his gaze.

That reaction made Kise laughed out loud.

Meiko wondered if he was losing his sanity, as there was nothing funny going on. They were about to play Tsurumibashi, the team that placed fourth in summer.

"It's how Kise-kun deals with anxiety." Kuroko lied.

"Well, you better do something about it," Ogiwara said. "It makes him looks creepy."

"I know, right?" Masato agreed. "It's _disgusting_." He made a sour face in the blond's direction. It was clear that the two still weren't on good terms with each other, but it was still a bit better than before.

"I suggest you stop if you don't want me to tell you what's disgusting." Kise retorted.

"You want to fight?" Masato snapped, taking off his shirt. "I'm all game."

"Hoh? Let's rumble." Kise replied likewise.

"You know what's going to be disgusting?" Ishikawa spoke up, causing the boys to pause. They shook their heads. "The look of your corpses when I'm finished with you."

Hearing that sentence made the boys sink back to the bench and said nothing more. Masato leaned onto his brother's shoulder for comfort, which Hayato gladly provided. Kise wanted to do the same, but Kuroko was too short, his neck will hurt before he could reach his shoulder.

The referee then blew his whistle, signalling that both teams should assemble on the court. Meiko's starters headed out onto the court ―Hoshizumi, Kikuchi, Mochida, Ogiwara and Abe while Tsurumibashi's starters were Kasamatsu, Moriyama, Six, Ten and Twelve.

The referee then threw the ball into the air for the tip-off, both centres jumped. It was a close one, however, Six managed to get it to Moriyama first. The shooting guard then passed it to Kasamatsu who then dribbled towards Meiko's net.

Abe was chasing him, but Kasamatsu didn't let that faze him. Abe had managed to block Kasamatsu, while his other teammates got into defensive positions quickly. Tsurumibashi were locked in an all-court man to man, with Ogiwara marking Twelve, Mochida marking Six, Kikuchi marking Ten and Hoshizumi having Moriyama.

Kasamatsu then drove past Abe after which he bounced passed the ball to Moriyama who received it in an overhead pass. But, before he could do anything, he was stalled by Hoshizumi. The captain allowed no room for Moriyama to break free, but he was so focused on his own job that he forgot about the others.

Six ran up behind him and in that moment, Moriyama broke free due to the screen on Hoshizumi. The shooting guard then made a bounce pass to their Twelve who swiftly made a shot, earning two points.

Meiko didn't hesitate; Mochida swiftly retrieved the ball, and passed it to Abe. The centre lagged behind the point guard while the others had already gone ahead. Timing them just right, the moment that Abe had crossed into Tsurumibashi's court, he sprang into action.

He made a bounce pass to Kikuchi who was by the sideline and not down in the paint or by either wings. Quickly, he snatched it and then dashed down the court. Ten ran alongside him and seeing that he was preventing him from escaping, Ten thought that he'd try to trap him in the baseline area.

Kikuchi didn't mind, as long as he got the ball out of here, his teammates would have one less player to worry about. Making an abrupt halt when he had passed the three point line, Kikuchi peered around Ten for his possible options. Ogiwara was in a good spot, Hoshizumi and Abe had their hands full with Kasamatsu and Moriyama, Mochida was close to the net like always but Six was there. If he should pass to Mochida, there's a fifty percent chance that Six may intercept it. Kikuchi smirked. There was also the other fifty where Mochida receives it.

Kikuchi then went into a crossover, and faked his attempts at trying to escape Ten. With his defender moving about to stop him, Ten's legs were wide open. Kikuchi used this opportunity to pass the ball between his legs in the direction of Mochida.

In that instant, Mochida and Ogiwara made eye contact for a split second and could almost read each other's minds. While Six lurched forwards to the ball, so too did Ogiwara who miraculously managed to get to the ball. While this was going on, Mochida made a few steps backwards to be in clear view of Ogiwara.

The small forward then passed the ball to him and he took the shot.

The first half continued in this way, both teams managing to score points off each other. For some reason, neither Meiko nor Tsurumibashi were putting their all into their defense like they do with offense. Both teams' centres tried their best with defense, but the offense came on in full force. It was a vicious battle, Abe and Kasamatsu seeming to be caught in a nasty fight.

The two point guards never eased up in their trickery, Abe being thrilled and Kasamatsu being impressed. Abe used some of the tricks he learnt from Kuroko, passing the ball to and through unexpected places. But with his experience, Kasamatsu is able to make some brilliant plays, but he's more dangerous when he decides that he'll go on a shooting spree.

At one point, Meiko thought that Tsurumibashi didn't have a point guard; instead they had two shooting guards.

Another point, Six put himself to good use. He was mostly active in defence, providing screens for his teammates who want to break free from their defenders or other times he blocks shots and drives (most in particular, Ogiwara and Kikuchi).

But the latter two boys didn't let that faze them. Ogiwara would use his training that he's received from Kise and when he sees the oncoming threats, he'd navigate his way around them by pivoting on whichever leg. He'd then pass the ball to either Kikuchi or Hoshizumi, or even Abe, depending on whoever is closest and the best option. Still, Ogiwara managed to make some memorable dunks, hooting and cheering when he's done.

Kikuchi played like he'd always. At first, all he did was to scout out his defender. During this, Ten would think that Kikuchi isn't an outstanding player, and underestimate him. But as soon as Kikuchi got the hang of things, Ten was in for a wild ride.

Kikuchi would dribble the ball at _his_ own pace, which was irritating. He dribbled slowly, almost as though the boy was doing it in slow motion. But once accustomed to that, he'd suddenly speed up and take them by surprise. This way he'd manage to escape Ten and in time to pass the ball to Ogiwara if the brunet was free.

Apart from this, Kikuchi's made a couple shots himself, sometimes sending a smirk of triumph to Tsurumibashi's players.

Mochida became a bit offensive sometimes, not just defending their net but actually helping to get the ball around. Since he was always the closest to Abe, he almost never had anyone marking him. Abe would pass the ball to him, indicating to him the teammate who should receive the ball with a shout. This plan was effective and since neither of Tsurumibashi's players knew Meiko's names, the ball had hardly gotten intercepted.

Hoshizumi made his fair share of shots as well, but for the life of him, he couldn't get used to Moriyama's form. No matter how hard he tried to stop the older teen, his abnormality was just too much. It was then that he realized what other teams felt whenever they played against Hayato. So, being that he couldn't stop the boy once he gets the ball, Hoshizumi decided not to let Moriyama stop him when it was his turn.

And as such, the first half ended up with the two teams tying on twenty-eight points.

_xxxx_

For the ten minute interval, both teams returned to their locker rooms to discuss further plans for the next half.

"Nice going out there," Ishikawa said as he gave his boys some lemons to eat.

"Coach, could we continue to play?" Abe asked.

"Reason?"

"Well, that Kasamatsu guy is interesting! I like how he plays; maybe I can use a few tricks or two from him for tomorrow's match."

"Seriously?"

"Yes, I've been learning from Kuroko and adding my style to the mix. Wouldn't it be a surprise for Ogiwara's girlfriend when she sees me break out some new moves?"

"She's not my girlfriend!" the brunet protested.

"Oh right, I forgot that she's the wife."

"You…!"

"But really, Abecchi, you haven't used half of the things Kurokocchi taught you." Kise joined in. "Why…?"

"I just don't want to have one set of skills to rely on. You can copy any move, it fits your versatile position. I'm a point guard, sometimes the fast passing and redirecting isn't going to cut it. After all, I'm no passing specialist ―I'm no Kuroko."

Kise sighed. "I got you."

"So, it's Abe, Mochida, Kise, Hayato and Hoshizumi. Ogiwara and Kikuchi will be subbed out." Ishikawa said. Masato and Kuroko sighed. Teikou's going to feel their pent-up frustration in the finals.

"Yes Sir!"

It was now time for the teams to return back to the court, and there was a different air surrounding them both. Unlike in the Waseda match where Kise was oozing with confidence, this time, he was seemed a bit more playful. The reason was simple: he was going to meet his future Senpai. Even though in this timeline they haven't yet met and won't for another two years, he was still glad to see them in good health.

When all the players were on the court, the referee blew his whistle and the game started with a throw in from Meiko. Hoshizumi threw the ball to Abe before heading into a favourable position. The moment he'd done so, Moriyama was quick to block him, but he didn't mind.

Abe dribbled towards the top-of-the-circle but the moment he arrived, Kasamatsu knocked the ball from his hands and headed towards Meiko's net. Tsurumibashi's players dashed off with Meiko chasing, a smile emerging on Kise's face. Kasamatsu reached closer to the net and then he made a pass to Twelve who swiftly jumped to make a shot.

But when he released the ball, Kise jumped and knocked it to the ground; the ball bouncing in the direction of Six and Mochida. The two boys scrambled for it, but sadly, Six reached it before Mochida. He attempted to pass it to Moriyama, but Hayato intercepted it and passed it to Abe.

"Thank you!" the High Priest shouted with glee. He dashed back to Tsurumibashi's court and quickly made a three. He was glad that it worked, as shooting threes wasn't his forte.

Tsurumibashi quickly restarted, and this time their offense was vicious.

After Six retrieved the ball, he passed it to Ten who then passed it to Kasamatsu. When the point guard encountered Abe, he used his full drive to blitz past him within in an instant. Abe was left in shock but when he turned around to give chase, he saw Kise blocking the captain.

"Hello there Senpai." Kise smiled.

"Hi." Kasamatsu said while taking measures to keep the ball away from him. "What do you want from me?"

"Oh nothing. Just remember my face, two years from now."

"Huh?" But Kasamatsu didn't let it faze him for long. He then made a crossover in an attempt to pass Kise but as always, the blond's defence was strong. With a step back, Kasamatsu made a shot but he knew that it was going to rebound.

Seeing the ball's trajectory; Six, Mochida, Hoshizumi and Twelve were pushing and shoving under the net, wanting to catch the ball for their teams. The ball bounced off the rim and all four boys jumped for it. In the midst of this squabble, the ball was sent bouncing towards the baseline area, and luckily for Meiko, Hayato was close by.

He snatched the ball but he lost his balance. While he stumbled to the floor, he sent the ball in a random direction, hoping that one of his teammates would catch it. That instant, he saw Kise snatch it and sprinted towards Tsurumibashi's net. Unhindered, Kise made a dunk, shooting the other players (both his teammates and opponents) a toothy grin.

Having done their research, Tsurumibashi knew that Meiko's number eleven (Kise) was trouble. But, just like trouble he was unpredictable. Such an instance when he marked Kasamatsu earlier on. They made sure to keep their eyes on him, but little did they know that Kise was _used_ to this. Two years of it at Teikou and couple months at Kaijou…he's racked up enough experience to know how to handle things like these.

The game continued with the two teams gunning at each other. Back and forth the two teams dashed, even the crowd had to wonder why all of a sudden there was spike in speed.

Abe was constantly taken off guard by Kasamatsu, his full drives were too fast, and his turnarounds were too unpredictable. Add to that, the boy knew how to orchestrate. As soon as Tsurumibashi gets the ball (either from a restart or a steal) Kasamatsu could be seen pointing to his players the areas he needs them to be at.

But Abe had his own tricks as well. Although he hasn't used his specialized hand signals (he's saving it for Teikou), he uses the ball to indicate how his players should move without any of the opposing players noticing. After he creates eye-contact with a teammate and tilting his head in a direction, Abe would dribble the ball to indicate to them how many steps they should take in that same direction.

It worked many times, Abe could see the look of irritation on Kasamatsu and his teammates faces. Such joy.

Hoshizumi and Moriyama seemed to have become best friends because at no time at all, one couldn't see them without each other. When Meiko was on offense, Moriyama guarded Hoshizumi tightly and even if he manages to break away, Moriyama was fast enough to catch him back. But the reverse is true. Hoshizumi never let Moriyama out of his sight, and at one point, the shooting guard complained that because of Hoshizumi, he looks uncool in front of his goddess.

Being around Hayato for so long, Hoshizumi could only sigh at this statement.

Speaking of Hayato, the shooting guard (pretending to be a power forward) gave his defender one hell of a time. Due to the strangeness of everything he does, Ten found it hard to put a stop to him. His movements cannot be predicted, and poor Ten wanted to give up. Add to that, his movements are distracting. While trying to figure out what Hayato will do next, Ten had to resort to watching the ball but doing so prevented him from seeing the bigger picture (much to Hayato's relief).

Using signals, Hayato would alert Kise or Mochida and either of the two would give assistance. Thus, the bleached-blond was be able to make some shots effortlessly.

Kise was a pain for Tsurumibashi, narrowing it down to Twelve. Any move that the (physically) older teen throws at Kise, the blond would dish it back to him better. It pissed him off to no end, and the boy would end up in a conflict with himself. If he plays seriously, then his own moves would come right back at him. And if he doesn't, then it would be giving Kise free reign.

Still, Twelve played like his life depended on it, even though it was sometimes meaningless against Kise.

Mochida (along with Kise and Hoshizumi) held Meiko's defense together. While the centre goes on offense sometimes, he (like Six) have managed to put a halt on Tsurumibashi's offense. These halts are enough to allow for a steal, which Abe is starting to excel at these days.

But Six would return the favour. With what would seem like an iron defense, he'd be a pain for Hayato having the boy resort to strange tactics to get the ball in whenever Kise wasn't nearby.

Throughout all this, Tsurumibashi showed Meiko the reason they are the fourth ranked team from the Summer Championship. The boys gave Meiko a hard time, Kise smiling at his future Senpais awesomeness since in his previous life; he never got to play them. He'd often time get strange looks from his teammates too.

Yet, the match ended in a close call, Tsurumibashi losing to Meiko by a basket ― 83 – 86.

_xxxx_

Even though they won, Meiko couldn't celebrate. They were in the finals which meant, they'd be facing Teikou. One thing they were glad for, they would be able to play with all their cards this time, however, it still won't be a walk in the park. Facing all five prodigies at the same time was going to be _hell._

"Don't look so down, guys." Kise said, trying to ease their moods. "We've made it this far, I'm pretty sure we can go all the way."

"Easy for you to say," Ogiwara sighed. "For two quarters back-to-back I have to face Aomine. How awful is that?"

"At least you don't have to play against Haizaki while trying to play like your twin brother." Hayato joined in. "You have no complaining to do."

"Whatever, the point is, we'll all be suffering on that court." Ogiwara said while folding his arms. The others nodded their heads in agreement.

"Boys," Ishikawa started. "Even though it's a fact, you can't always be so negative. It's not healthy."

"I'll stop being negative when we finally beat Teikou." Mochida said. "That in of itself is enough to cleanse me of all negativity!"

"That's right!" Masato cheered.

Ishikawa sighed. But, he too, was a little concerned about the final match. He knows, he just _knows_ that come a time in that match, he'll need to cook up a serious motivational speech.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	32. Chapter 32

 ...

...

 

" _I don't back up, I don't back down. I don't fold up and I don't bow._

_I don't roll over, don't know how. Can't be stopped, all I know go hard. Won't forget how I got this far."_

\- Linkin Park _"Lost in the Echo."_

 

_..._

_..._

 

"Oh man! I'm so nervous!" Masato said as he sat down in his seat. "I can't!"

"You better handle it!" Hoshizumi barked. He was sitting beside Kikuchi. "If we make this chance go down the drain we'll have to wait until Summer!"

"I think this time I really will get a heat stroke." Mochida said while fanning himself. "Jesus, I'm even sweating."

"You can't be hot." Hayato joined in. "That's just cold sweat. _Cold_ sweat." He emphasized.

The others burst out laughing; Ishikawa only left them to their own devices. He didn't want them to get shaking and fretting right before the match, so it was best that they loosen up from now. Their chatter and their laughter continued until they reached the gymnasium, the other occupants in the bus amused at their behaviour and petty arguments.

Kise sat beside Kuroko behind everyone else with their hands entangled together. The two seemed to be in their own little world, tuning out outside disturbances. No one saw this since they were busy chatting and teasing each other.

Soon, they neared the gymnasium, and suddenly, all that talk about nervous and the whatnot was gone. To Ishikawa, it seemed as though they hadn't felt that way in the first place. A smile crept onto the coach's face; hopefully, they keep this up and not crumble under the pressure of Teikou.

_xxxx_

Aomine has been bouncing in his seat ever since he sat down. It was finally the time for the Finals, and Aomine couldn't have been happier. He had been waiting for this moment since forever (that was maybe a bit of a stretch) and he wasn't going to let anyone ruin it. Anyone here referring to Haizaki. He has a feeling that the silver-haired bastard would try to force Kise into a one-on-one as well. There's no way he'd let that happen.

When they had reached, they headed directly towards their locker room. They walked in silence, but throughout this, the Miracles noticed Aomine's strange behaviour. Prior to this, he had been somewhat moody, uninterested and simply lackadaisical in everything that he did. But now, he's overflowing with joy.

Akashi was about to say something when he heard Aomine shout out―

"KISE!"

―and stormed towards the group of boys. Teikou saw them partially dispersed, leaving a tall blond who looked like he was nervous. The miracles (including Haizaki) remembered his face. Akashi especially.

"Aominecchi? Could you not shout my name out?" he asked.

"I don't care about that; I just want to beat your ass in a match like old times." He grinned.

"Beat my ass?" Kise huffed. "We'll see about that."

"Coming from the guy who couldn't even dribble…I can't wait to see how much you've improved. Man, I've got so much pent-up frustration that I can't wait to start the match. I think I might kill you out there."

"Oh really, now?" Kise smirked. "I think it'll be the other way around."

"Kise-kun, enough idling, we have to go." Kuroko said.

Aomine let out a screech as he never saw the light-blue haired teen. For the second time that they met in this tournament, Kuroko scared him. Sadly, Kuroko had been standing there ever since he came over.

"Ku-Kuroko! Can't you appear like a normal person?!"

"I have been standing here the whole time. Even before you came."

"Ku…" Aomine couldn't find anything to counter. "So how have you been?"

"I've been quite fine."

"Is that so?"

"Yes, it is so."

"I didn't mean for you to reply like that! Loosen ―"

Just then, Akashi called over Aomine after which Meiko headed to their locker room. But Masato looked a bit irritable. So, he was the first one to be finished changing and he headed out ―to Teikou's locker room while the two coaches were elsewhere engaging in a friendly conversation.

"Before you start, can I ask a question?" Masato said when he entered. He didn't even knock.

"Sure, what is it?" Akashi asked, not looking at the boy as placed his bag on the bench. He deemed that he couldn't have wanted to talk about anything useful anyway.

"Why did your coach ask us for a practice match? What does he want?"

That stalled everyone in the room. Akashi whipped his neck around so fast, Masato thought he had gotten whiplash.

"What was that? _Our_ coach asked _you_ for a match?"

"That's impossible!" Midorima joined in. "There's no way Coach Shirogane would downgrade us to ask ―"

"Downgrade?! You ass―!"

"Now, now, boys." Nijimura started to quell the oncoming storm. "Let's hear out each other first before we start throwing punches."

"It's true." Aomine said. "Because I'm the one who asked him to."

"What's the reason?" Masato asked, ignoring Teikou's screeches of 'Why?'

"Kise was the only one who could save me. Basketball was not fun anymore."

Masato let out a sigh as he shook his head. "That damn blond, he never ceases to piss me off." With a spin on his heel, he walked off, going back to his locker room. "I hope you have fun, Aomine-kun~!" He said in quite the mocking voice. But Aomine was too happy to even notice it.

"Daiki, what's this about?" Akashi asked.

"Nothing."

"This can't be nothing! You had coach ask _them_ for a practice match!? These no-names?! What can they do?! They aren't even worth playing!" To say Midorima was angry would be an understatement. "As a matter of fact, they don't even have one string with proper members! What were you thinking?!" he roared.

"You have no idea what is like when you're trying to enjoy the sport you love but no one is able to match you! No one tries to block me! No one tries to steal the ball from me! My defenders do nothing but give up when they come across me! They all say the same thing: ' _You're too strong. No one can beat you'_!"

In an instant, they were all silenced, unable to utter a single word. Aomine was the first to get dressed and as such, he headed out. Following suit, the others quickly dismissed that conversation (more like putting it on hold for later) and changed into their jerseys.

After some minutes, both Shirogane and Ishikawa returned to their respective locker rooms and had their boys head out to the court. The moment the two teams arrived, the crowd erupted in a series of cheers; most of these were for Teikou.

The two teams had congregated on the court, Akashi wasting no time and headed over to Meiko.

"I would like to make a proposal." He said without even a greeting. Hoshizumi's eyebrows rose.

"And what's that?" the older teen asked.

"When Teikou wins, I want Kise and Kuroko to transfer back to our school."

The temperature on the court suddenly dropped. All of Meikou's players were shocked by this bold statement; even Ishikawa who had been sitting on the bench was at a loss for words.

"Excuse me?" Kikuchi asked, pushing aside Hoshizumi gently to face Akashi. "That's not going to happen. Kise and Kuroko left of their own accord, you can't force them back."

Akashi's face was unchanged. "That's impossible. No one has ever gotten me to resign even once, and you think you'll be able to do that? Don't make me laugh." Akashi then added again for effect, "When we win, _they're coming back to Teikou_."

Abe was pissed off. "That's only _if_ you win, you arrogant asshole." He snapped. "So what do we get if we win? I sure as hell don't want to play basketball with any of you bastards."

Akashi was not pleased but instead of lashing out like this uncivilized monkey, he chose to keep his cool. "I win in everything, for I am absolute. But, _if_ you somehow manage to win, then I'll gladly gouge out my eyes and give you."

Abe (and everyone else minus Kise and Kuroko) was stunned at his offer. But without thinking, better yet, having the confidence that they'll win even if it's by a hair, Abe agreed. "Deal." He grinned. "I'll make your eyes into a family heirloom."

In the midst of all this, Kise and Kuroko let out stressed sighs. The stakes of this match isn't just about knocking some senses into the miracles and allowing Meiko to win, but now it's to make sure that they aren't going back to that school. They've both found that with small basketball clubs comes more room for interaction and getting to know the players better. It was fun and exciting, while at Teikou, there were so many members; neither Kise nor Kuroko remembered them all or had even gotten to converse with some of them.

"Kurokocchi, you know what this means, right?" Kise said in a whisper.

"Of course." Kuroko replied with a smile.

A whistle then sounded, and immediately the boys knew what this meant. The players returned to their benches, and since it was the finals, the announcer had to introduce each team, starting from the coach. Each time a player's name was called, he headed out onto the court, when Teikou's introductions were being done, the crowd had constantly cheered but the moment Meiko's started, the volume dropped. It was clear from day one that Teikou would have more supporters than Meiko.

The starters of each team assembled at the centre-circle and after bowing to each other, they got in their respective positions, for Teikou, the starters were the Miracles, while for Meiko, they were Kise, Kuroko, the Kaneshiro Twins and Abe.

Kise and Murasakibara stood at the centre-circle awaiting the tip-off; however, in fact, Meiko didn't want the tip-off. After all, with Murasakibara's height trying to get the ball would be a lost cause.

The referee then threw up the ball, the purple haired giant jumped for it. Kise had barely even jumped, and when Murasakibara passed the ball to Akashi, Meiko retreated further in their half to assume defensive positions.

Akashi was partially stalled at the top-of-the-circle, but within a dribble, he passed Abe and then passed the ball to Haizaki. Aomine had an uninterested look and seemed out of it, so he didn't take that risk. When Haizaki received it, he was blocked by Hayato, who he thought nothing of.

Making a swift crossover, he passed Hayato on his right, and continued to dash forwards. He laughed out loudly, and failed to realize the look in the Yatogami's eyes. Even though his face was blank, his eyes looked mischievous.

By the time Haizaki made his way into the paint area, he weaved around Masato and made his way towards the net without a care in the world. However, that was a fatal mistake. As soon as he had gotten past Masato, Kuroko came up and knocked the ball from his hands, and made an Ignite pass to Kise.

The blond received it with ease, but the moment he'd done so, Aomine came up to block him.

"I've been waiting, Kise." The tanned ace grinned.

_I don't have time for this,_ Kise thought as he dribbled the ball. With a step back, Kise dribbled the ball hard. The audience had to cover their ears due to the loud sound. Aomine's eyes were fixed on the ball, but after a moment, he couldn't see it anymore. In a flash, Kise dashed past the ace, and continued onwards. He had used a copy of Hayama's Lightning Dribble. That said, the creator was furious in the stands upon seeing Kise using his dribble.

Still Aomine was fast enough to catch the blond back. Even though he knew that Murasakibara would have stopped him, Aomine didn't want anyone else to play Kise. He's waited and suffered too long to _play_ basketball with someone who won't give up midway.

Reaching into the paint, the two boys stopped, Murasakibara looked bored even though a 'threat' was nearing his team's net. By this time, the other players had arrived, Hayato had run past Kise and Aomine and as such, the blond passed the ball to him.

Neither of Teikou cared much, since no one has gotten past Murasakibara's defence. But, Kise dashed away from Aomine with Masato following from behind, Kuroko was somewhere lurking.

Hayato made an attempt to shoot the ball, but the purple haired centre moved quickly to block him. But in that moment, he passed to Kuroko who swiftly redirected it to Masato on the other side with Kise.

The younger of the twins caught the ball and went into shooting form. Still, with his quick legs, Murasakibara was there and looming over him like a tower eclipsing the sun. Masato didn't release the ball; instead, he bounced it through the boy's feet and into Abe's hands.

Without hitch, he made a shot.

The crowd was stunned into silence. Never before had they seen a team get past Murasakibara Atsushi, the super centre. That said, the centre raised an eyebrow at the boys who had then run on to defend. He wasn't sure but his instincts were telling him that trouble was brewing.

Lazily, he retrieved the ball and threw it to Akashi, who then walked towards the others; Teikou weren't so much disturbed by that basket as they felt that the boys in green won't be able to keep that up. Add to that, Akashi was determined to have Kise and Kuroko back at Teikou. He wasn't going to let these peasants have their way.

In that moment, he passed the ball to Midorima, who was at the centre circle. The shooter received it, and Kise let out a sigh.

"Took him long enough,"

Midorima straightened and released the ball, its high arc seeming to grace the ceiling. But none of Meiko's players looked at it. Kise and Kuroko engrained it into them, once Midorima's shooting, don't look at the ball.

The ball fell through the hoop with a _swoosh;_ Midorima hadn't even waited until the shot had gone through before turning around. Yet again, Kise let a sigh.

"Old habits are going to be the end of you lot."

But the crowd went into cheers. Seeing Midorima shoot from the centre circle was breathtaking.

Masato retrieved the ball and then passed it to Abe. The point guard and his teammates headed towards Teikou and the pressure oozing out of their bodies was enough to make Meikou stall for a moment.

Abe had come up to Akashi, while the others had gone to their markers, Kuroko was invisible and free always. Aomine never stopped grinning, but he felt that something was off. Compared to their one-on-one, Kise wasn't playing with the ferocity that he's used to.

"Oi, Kise," Aomine said.

"Hmm?"

"Are you holding back or something?" he asked.

Kise smiled and batted his lashes playfully. "Mou~ Aominecchi, it's just the first quarter, how can I go all out?"

"Huh?! Quarters have nothing to do with it!" he shouted, startling everyone. "How could you do this to me?!"

"There, there," Kise said, patting him on the shoulder. "You get your reward soon enough. Plus, I'm playing perfectly fine; it's the same for you, isn't it? As the match progresses, the stronger you become, right?"

Aomine didn't say anything to the blond. He couldn't. At the moment, he was torn about this. Usually, when players don't use their full strengths it's when they give up and allow him to do whatever he wanted. But, Kise wasn't playing at his full potential, but by no means had he given up. Was he actually saving the best for last?

He was taken out of his thoughts when he saw Kise receive the ball. And quickly, the blond sprang into action. Using Hayama's dribble yet again, Kise dashed around Aomine but with his speed, the tanned ace was able to catch him back. But in that moment, he passed the ball to Hayato, who had Haizaki dealing with. Grabbing the ball, Hayato made an attempt to get pass Haizaki but the silver-haired teen's defence was good. Still, compared to Kise's (with his copy of Murasakibara), it was manageable.

Hayato used a crossover, and seeing the boy's techniques up close, Haizaki really thought that he was insane. His posture was different, his dribbling was strange and there was no way he could counter this. He wouldn't even want to pillage this move as it'll make him look like an idiot.

Pushing the ball to the ground with the edge of his palm, Haizaki had no way to tell if Hayato was going to make a crossover or a pass or some other move. Just then, Hayato took a step back and shot the ball. It wasn't intended for the net; instead, it was for his brother who hadn't been on his mark.

Masato jumped and snatched the ball, but as soon as he headed towards Murasakibara, he felt as though he encountered a giant wall with no hopes of getting to the net. The feeling was different from before, and poor Masato had to draw back.

"What? You're not coming?" Murasakibara asked with a lazy drawl.

"Tsk!" Masato looked around at his teammates and saw that there was no one free, except for Kuroko. But, they can't have Kuroko shoot just yet. Abe was unable to get past Akashi, Kise looked like he was playing with Aomine, Hayato had Haizaki who seem a bit upset.

Add to that, Midorima was free and Murasakibara doesn't move from the net. Masato was in a pinch indeed.

_What would a point guard do in this situation?_ He asked himself as he watched the clock. It was counting down for a violation but he didn't want to lose the ball.

"Masato-kun, go!" Kuroko shouted.

He froze a moment, but when he saw Kuroko's gestures he knew what the boy meant. He bounced the ball to the shadow who then redirected it to Kise. Masato then moved closer to Murasakibara while his eyes were focused on Kise and Aomine since the blond had the ball.

Pulling a couple crossovers, Kise passed back the ball to Kuroko who passed it to Masato. Thanks to his precision passing, Masato had no problems catching it. With a grin, he made a layup, but…

"What do you think you're doing?" Murasakibara said, an arm blocking the net from Masato.

As the ball was about to roll off the boy's fingers, Kise jumped and snatched ball after which he went on the centre's left in order to make a shot. But knowing that Murasakibara would still stop him, Kise made a brilliant double clutch and slammed the ball into the hoop.

"Nice, Kise!" Masato said as he gave him a pat on his shoulder.

"To be honest, I took a gamble." Kise said with a shy smile. "I didn't know that it would have worked. Murasakibaracchi is fast enough and has long limbs so…"

"Whatever, we managed to get that shot in," Hayato said, coming up to them. "But I fear that Teikou is going to seriously hand it to us after this."

Seeing how Meiko was getting bold, Akashi decided to take matters into his hands. When Meiko had gone to defend, Akashi started,

"Daiki, how did you let that blond escape? Are you picking up the nasty habit from our past games?"

"Uh, no," Aomine responded. "I just wanted to see how he'd do against Murasakibara."

"If you let it happen again, I'll sub you out. Shuuzou is able to fill the gap." He then turned to the others, "Shintarou keep your marker in check and be prepared to make your threes from the centre. Shougo, demolish their defense with Daiki. And Atsushi, don't let them get anymore points."

"Hai."

With that, Teikou moved off, and what Hayato had feared had become a reality. As soon as Abe came up to block him, he side-stepped him and passed the ball to Haizaki who was the closest. And following what Akashi had told them prior, Haizaki ripped through Meiko's defence and made it to their net. When he had jumped for a block, a shadow cast over his body and a hand knocked the ball away.

"Atsushi…?" The name came out of his mouth before he could realize.

Kise flashed him a smirk, before darting off towards Teikou's net. Abe, Hayato and Masato had already run off, Kuroko sending a watered down Ignite pass to Hayato in the process. Aomine made sure to stop Kise, Midorima and Akashi making their way towards the others. Haizaki was still at Meiko's net, seeming to be in a state of shock.

"How is that…possible?" he mumbled to himself. "Why did that block feel so much like Atsushi's?"

Meanwhile on the other side of the court, Abe, Hayato and Masato seemed like pesky little insects attacking a giant. On the left and right were the twins while in the middle (and lagging behind) was Abe. The three boys had formed a 'V', and had began their assault.

Abe first passed the ball to Masato who had entered shooting form to throw off Murasakibara. The centre made a step towards Masato; however, his eyes caught Hayato and Abe heading to the net. Thinking that they may attempt that tactic again, Murasakibara looked back and forth the boys thinking that they may be up to something. But that was his mistake.

Masato shot the ball anyway; it landed on the rim and spun. Meiko watched while holding their breaths, praying that it may go in. After all, Masato is no Hayato or Hoshizumi; his threes are more likely to rebound than anything else. And so it was.

The boys who were at the net fought for that ball, but due to his height, Murasakibara got it instead. He then passed it to Akashi, who then made his way to Meiko's net. Haizaki was back to reality but Akashi decided to make the shot himself. Abe tried to block him, but swiftly avoided him and managed to make the shot.

Kise and Kuroko exchanged glances and nodded at each other.

The first quarter continued with Teikou dominating. Meiko fought back, even though to some people in the audience, it seemed like a lost cause.

When there was about two minutes left in the first quarter, Kise and Kuroko were subbed off for Ogiwara and Mochida. Aomine's interest disappeared completely; add to that, Kise hadn't been playing with his usual ferocity like always. There was something in his gut that told him the blond has more up his sleeve.

But the first quarter ended with Teikou in the lead (of course) with twenty-four points and Meiko following on sixteen.

However, when the second quarter came around, both teams got even more aggressive. During the two minute interval before the start of the quarter, the boys of Teikou ignored Momoi, since they were still in the lead and Meiko seeming to be unable to do anything. While, on Meiko's bench, Kikuchi, Kise and Kuroko gave their teammates useful advice.

Thus, the twins were subbed off and Hoshizumi and Kikuchi came on bringing Meiko's line-up to Abe, Ogiwara, Mochida, Hoshizumi and Kikuchi, Teikou's hadn't changed.

The game restarted with a throw in from Meiko, Mochida threw the ball to Abe. The others had gone into favourable positions, and once again, Abe had to deal with Akashi. They were both first years, but Abe could feel the difference in abilities. What's more, there was an aura about him that both pissed him off and terrified him. Akashi wore a cool, unperturbed expression, which made Abe wonder.

But in the midst of dribbling, Akashi knocked the ball from his hands and headed towards Meiko's court. Putting their training to good use, the boys in green dashed off as well, Mochida making it back in time to protect his net.

Abe tried to stop the redhead but within a blink, Abe found himself on the floor and Akashi walking off towards the net proudly. But, he didn't shoot the ball, instead he passed it to Haizaki and gave him a piercing look with that heterochromatic gaze of his. The silver haired teen made it to the net and by the time he had made his way into the paint area, he weaved around Ogiwara and Hoshizumi and made his way towards the net where Mochida was. The centre jumped to block the shot, but Haizaki had faked.

When Mochida was falling, that was when he jumped to make the shot, but just as practiced, as the ball was about to roll off his fingers, Kikuchi and Ogiwara jumped and knocked the ball from his hands.

It bounced towards Hoshizumi and the captain made haste to retrieve it. Getting the ball, he was blocked by Midorima. He moved to the left, the green-haired shooter blocked him; he moved to the right, it was the same thing. Passing the shooting guard seemed to be impossible, but then, he remembered something that Kuroko told them:

" _You know, my way of passing isn't so special. I just find openings in people's defences that they'd least expect. For example, you can bounce the ball through someone's legs."_

And doing just that, Hoshizumi dashed around the shooter quickly enough to catch back the ball. He then passed it to Abe; however, it was intercepted by Akashi who made his way towards the net. Still, reaching in the paint, he passed the ball to Haizaki, who this time, made the shot.

Teikou retreated into their half of the court, but one thing that made Meiko upset was their uninterested attitude. They really weren't taking this seriously; add to that, Aomine had the most bored look that they've ever seen. Just because Kise was gone, it seemed as though he wasn't interested in playing anymore. If they didn't know better, they would have lost their cool.

"Well, could you pass me the ball, Mochi?" Abe said. "We need to make the bastards pay a little more attention to us."

"Let's not overdo it." Hoshizumi said. "We've got the third quarter left until the subs come in."

"What's wrong with killing two birds with one stone?" Abe smirked. "I know we can't use everything as yet, but I can't help that I'm pissed right now." He then added, "Plus, I want my future family heirloom."

Mochida then retrieved the ball, and passed it to Abe as instructed. The others had run ahead to their respective markers, Abe faced off with Akashi once more. The redheaded point guard managed to stop Abe, as if that would mean anything. The bespectacled teen then looked at where his teammates were positioned and tried to assess the situation.

There were two people closest to him ―Kikuchi and Hoshizumi, being close to the wing area. If he tried to pass the ball to either of them; Akashi could intercept the ball, or any of their defenders. If he tried an overhead pass to Hoshizumi, with Midorima's height, he could catch the ball or cause it to bounce to the others. Kikuchi had Haizaki, and it was no doubt that the silver-haired teen's speed was faster.

_So, what to do now?_ Abe thought as he tried to keep the ball away from Akashi.

But before he could collect his thoughts, he saw Akashi make a lunge after the ball, making him lose balance for a bit. He had no choice but to fling it in the general direction of the two boys, hoping and praying that one may catch it.

Sadly, his hopes were dashed when he saw Akashi use the momentum from his right leg to spin around. He caught the ball, and headed towards Meiko's net. But Abe wanted revenge. While behind Akashi, he signalled to his teammates and had them assume positions. Hoshizumi came up to block Akashi but as the redhead weaved around him, there was Kikuchi reaching for the ball. It caused Akashi to pull back, but in the moment he done so, Abe used that opportunity to snatch the ball.

"Thank you!" he shouted as he made his way back to Teikou's net. Ogiwara was already ahead, Mochida was close by. The boys attacked Murasakibara yet again, but this time, the centre's eyes were focused. Instead of passing the ball to either of the others like previous, Abe went in for the shot. He jumped for the shot, but seeing how open he was, Murasakibara thought that Abe was just a decoy and that the real shooter was either Ogiwara or Mochida. Yet again, a mistake.

Abe released the ball, it bounced from the backboard but luckily, Ogiwara was already on standby. He grabbed it while Murasakibara was busy being surprised and pushed it back through the hoop.

And so, the second quarter continued with Teikou dominating Meiko, Haizaki and Akashi proved to be much better than Kikuchi and Abe, but the boys still didn't let them get free reign. Whenever Teikou was on offense, Meiko's defence was impressive. Hoshizumi guarded Midorima, Kikuchi and Ogiwara guarded Aomine, while Haizaki and Akashi were left free.

There were other times when Aomine felt like getting some points and breaking free of the block, but that was occasionally since Kise was on the bench. But when he did, he demolished their defence with his speed and crazy skills, same too with Haizaki. Still, the silver haired teen received the ball far more frequently than Aomine. Seeing his disinterested face, Akashi chose not to pass to him. He

But what was surprising to everyone was that Meiko didn't roll over and die like the other teams would have. In fact, they fought back quite ferociously at Teikou. Although Akashi was a better point guard, Abe pulled some of his tricks and managed to aid his teammates in scoring. But, it goes without saying that there were times when the ball was stolen, shots were stopped and drives were blocked.

Mochida and Hoshizumi sometimes targeted Midorima. Remembering what their blond transfer told them, they started to execute the plan.

_Midorimacchi only takes shot that he's confident will go in. So, if you block him while shooting, he'll be forced to pass the ball since he'll think the ball will rebound._

Mochida and Hoshizumi did this on three occasions, and all three were a success. They had stopped after, not wanting Midorima (or any of Teikou for that matter) to pick up on what they were doing.

Ogiwara and Kikuchi tried their best against Aomine and Haizaki which was fruitful sometimes. The boys from Teikou were better than them in every aspect, but together, they stood up to these boys and managed to put a halt on their offense. Other times, they teamed up on only one of the boys either Aomine or Haizaki and put what they learned from Kise to good use.

Still, Haizaki pillaged some of Kikuchi's moves, but he was unsuccessful when it came onto execution. Why? Because since he pillaged Kikuchi, the Feudal Lord knows how to stop him. It's his move, so he'll know what to do in order to stop him. He laughed at Haizaki's frustration, and deep down, he was glad that Kise and Kuroko prepped them before hand.

But throughout all this, Ishikawa noticed something strange. His eyes are focusing on a certain four: Akashi, Haizaki, Kikuchi and Abe. The two point guards aside, why is it that Kikuchi and Haizaki had the ball so much? How is it that the others hardly ever got it? In addition to that, there was something off about his boys. Seeing the speed at which Teikou runs, he knows his boys can match it, but why aren't they? Are they letting the beach training go in vain. No, couldn't be. Then what was it?

It was then that he realized.

His rascals probably planned this. Since they were facing Teikou, it seemed that they wanted to lessen the stress on themselves, so they narrowed Teikou's plays to only a limited set of players. A smile on the corner of his lips as he raked a hand through his hair…since when have they gotten this brutal?

He was then taken out of his thoughts when he heard the whistle and the referee's voice. The first half was over, and of course, Teikou was in the lead with thirty-six while Meiko was on twenty-five.

Returning to the bench before they head off to the locker room, the atmosphere around his boys were frightening. They seemed calculative, almost as though things were going to way they wanted to.

"Boys…?"

"Don't worry, Coach." Kikuchi smirked as he took a look at Teikou's retreating figures. "The third quarter onwards is where things are going to get heated."

"That's right, we are Meiko. And we're going to fight!" Hoshizumi said with too much vigor.

"YEAH!"

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	33. Chapter 33

 ...

...

 

" _When you believe in yourself, you are unstoppable…_

… _We'll make it happen; we'll turn it around,_

_Yes, we were born to make history."_

\- Dean Fujioka " _Yuri! On Ice."_

 

_..._

_..._

 

 

The teams returned to the court for the second half, but when Meiko looked at Teikou, one thing they spotted made them worry. Momoi's face. Her eyes were downcast with a sad look on her face. Kise and Kuroko could tell that something dangerous was coming, since Momoi only has that look when the Miracles or Aomine were up to something that would spell the end of their opponents.

"Guys, be careful out there." Kise warned. "Seriously, _be careful._ "

Hearing the usually playful blond issue such a warning with a serious tone, they knew that Teikou were out for their heads. With a nod, Meiko headed out onto the court once more, their line-up from the second quarter hadn't changed, so too with Teikou.

The game started with a throw in from Teikou, and immediately, they sprang into action. Akashi received the ball from Haizaki, and immediately, the redhead made his way to Meikou's net. He didn't even look at his other teammates, Abe seeming to be relieved.

However, the moment he saw Akashi's eyes, he knew what Kise was talking about.

"Move out the way," Akashi said in a calm voice.

"As if." Abe responded.

Akashi made a 'hmph' and suddenly, he dribbled the ball rapidly and before Abe knew it, he was falling.

"You are not subservient to me, how dare you look down on me." Akashi said in an authoritative voice. He walked towards the net and made his shot effortlessly. Meikou were left frozen in shock.

"Shake that off! Restart! Restart!" Kise shouted from the bench.

"Don't worry, Haru!" Hayato shouted with rage. "The Great Yatogami will soon assist you in vanquishing these despicable demons! Hold on until I have made adequate preparations!"

Abe looked at them and laughed. He knew Ishikawa wouldn't stop Hayato since it was simply his way of encouraging him. He proceeded to get up, wondered what the hell just happened. One moment he looked into Akashi's eyes and the next, he was falling.

"That bastard, he's not going to let me get his eyes that easily, huh?"

"Obviously not," Mochida said, dribbling towards him. "Plus, have you forgotten the deal that _you_ hastily accepted?"

"Well, you guys could have voiced your discontent at the time." The point guard pouted. "As the saying goes, 'silence means consent'."

"Whatever." Mochida shrugged as he passed the ball to him. "Do your thing, High Priest."

Abe laughed. This was going to get interesting. He headed towards the top of the circle but this time, he had a plan in mind. Treating Akashi as a being with superpowers, he dared not wait until he was directly in front of him before passing the ball. As he made it closer to Akashi, he could feel the boy's overbearing aura seeping out of his body.

"Here!" Abe then said as he bounced the ball over to Mochida after which the centre then headed towards Ogiwara and Aomine. Akashi didn't try to stop him since his fellow teammates are capable of handling themselves.

However, Ogiwara was struggling against the tanned ace. He played the boy once before in their gym, but playing him now was a different story. Still, some of Aomine's movements seemed a bit familiar. During practices, Kise would beat his bones in a one-on-one, pointing out the flaws of his defense and offense. And when the blond decided to _play a little,_ that's when things got tough.

Ogiwara felt like if he could face Kise, then he should be able to stall Aomine for a little bit. It wasn't that the brunet was thinking highly of himself, it was just putting what he practiced to good use.

Seeing his teammate coming towards him, Ogiwara shifted his stance. At first, he planned to keep Aomine in one place while Mochida hurried on ahead. But then, Mochida suddenly passed the ball to him and proceeded to screen out Aomine.

It didn't work, but at least Ogiwara had the ball and had managed to escape Aomine for a brief moment. Knowing that the ace was coming for him, swiftly, Ogiwara passed back the ball to Mochida who chest passed it to Hoshizumi who was free by the three-point line. Easily, he sank a three.

Without time to celebrate, Meiko returned to their half for the defence. However, Midorima got the ball and from the centre circle, he made his shot. The boys of Meiko had to close their eyes to not look upwards at the heartbreaking sight, but as soon as they heard the sound of the ball on the floor, they took action.

Yet again, Abe was passed the ball by Mochida while the others had run on ahead. And like the previous quarters, Meiko planned to limit the ones who had the ball most. This time, instead of targeting Haizaki like the first time, they had their eyes on Aomine. It was clear that he was the hardest to control, but the thing about that is that he doesn't make threes. They could always counter with a three from Hoshizumi.

And as such, the two teams ended up almost in a full court man-to-man. The only ones free and unguarded were Aomine and Ogiwara. Abe and Akashi were the usual, fighting at the top of the circle. This time, the point guard hadn't a chance to pass to someone, so he was stuck with the ball until he reached Akashi.

Like before, Akashi exuded an air of intimidation, but Abe was not to be taken lightly. The bespectacled teen took two huge steps backwards before using something similar to the Ignite Pass to get the ball to Ogiwara. The small forward received it, but Akashi was stunned at that passing. It wasn't as spectacular as Kuroko's, but it was still shocking.

As soon as Ogiwara pivoted on his foot to make his way to the net and Murasakibara, Aomine blocked his path. But, he had anticipated this so the moment the tanned ace blocked him; he passed the ball to Kikuchi who was closest. Knowing how Haizaki is, Kikuchi didn't hitch and with a swift crossover, he got around the silver-haired teen.

Before Haizaki could pull out a dangerous trick, Kikuchi made a sudden halt and passes the ball to Hoshizumi. Upon receiving it, Midorima took swift action. It was not going to happen a second time.

When Hoshizumi had gotten into shooting form, Midorima jumped for the block but a smirked formed on the captain's face. As the two boys were falling, it was then that Hoshizumi released the ball. It was a shot he came up with (along with the help of his teammates). Since he couldn't master the quick release that Kise was teaching him and Hayato, he decided to try an alternative.

With a high enough arc, the ball arched over Midorima's fingertips and made its way to the net. However, due to Murasakibara's long limbs, even though he jumped a bit late, he managed to knock the ball back to the ground.

The boys scrambled for it in a frantic manner, and putting their beach training to good use, Kikuchi got to the ball first and passed the ball to Mochida. The centre made it to the net, but there was Murasakibara as usual. But this time, he looked a bit angry.

Without hesitation, Mochida looked around quickly for the best course of action.

"Mochi!" Ogiwara shouted. "Give me!"

Mochida did as he was told, and gave the boy the ball. Ogiwara then jumped to make a shot, which prompted the purple giant to move for the block. But in that instant, he passed back the ball to Mochida who had slithered away from them and ended up behind Murasakibara.

Quickly, the centre made a shot. After he'd done, he gripped the fabric at his chest, signifying that his heart was racing.

"Damn, that was so…" he trailed off purposely.

"But you managed, right?" Ogiwara said with a smile.

"I thought I was going to be crushed! How is he a first year with that height?!" Mochida shivered as he recounted the moments. "Shit…"

"Switch gears, you fools!" Abe roared, giving them a karate chop. "We're on defense!"

The rest of the third quarter continued in such a manner, but Murasakibara was pissed. Never before has a team got this much points off him and he was truly upset. As a matter of fact, everyone on Teikou's team (minus Aomine) was upset.

And as such, Murasakibara moved from the net. His face had darkened and Meiko could feel their doom coming. The boys started breaking out in cold sweat, and with each step that Murasakibara took, to them, it felt as though the ground quivered.

"Shit, how are we going to stop that?!" Hoshizumi asked in shock.

"Look on the bright side, at least the net is free now." Abe smirked. "Akashi's eyes are as good as mine."

"This sick bastard…" Kikuchi said in disgust at Abe. "You're glossing over the fact that Murasakibara is now on offense. How will we deal that?"

"We'll pull through." Mochida said. "After all, we can't let Kise and Kuroko transfer. They left Teikou for a reason, right?"

"That's right! Now, let's go!" Hoshizumi said with enthusiasm.

The two teams went back and forth, but with Murasakibara on offense, it was proven to be a hassle. The others are strong individually both in offense and defense, and if they should add that giant into the mix, it's not pretty.

When Teikou was on offense, Murasakibara bulldozed through Meiko's defence, pushing the boys away as though they were flies. Add Akashi with his precise passing to that, plus the others with their exceptional abilities, getting points were now harder than before.

But Meiko didn't give up. With their slight strokes of luck, they managed to squeeze a couple points here and there, even though it made those on the benches lose a bit of their lifespan just by watching.

Still, by the time it had a minute left in the third quarter, Ishikawa subbed on Hayato and Masato for Hoshizumi and Kikuchi. When Aomine saw this, he knew that by the time the fourth quarter came around, Kise was coming back. Unable to contain his joy, the tanned ace grinned.

The match intensified, but Meiko were slowly crawling up. The twins continued to play like each other, as it wasn't yet the fourth quarter. Ogiwara and Masato tried to keep Haizaki under a leash but left Aomine with free reign. They chose the lesser of two evils, and somehow the boys managed to stall Haizaki before he forces his way through most times.

Aomine and Murasakibara like always tore through their defence due to their speed and big build, Akashi didn't ease up with his ankle breaking, pissing off Abe to no end. His attitude was about to drive the High Priest crazy, but no matter what he did, he just couldn't fight the redhead.

Midorima made his threes from the centre circle a lot, but little did the green-haired boy know what was in store for him.

However, Meiko were fighters. Abe continuously managed to pull off some tricks against Akashi which left Kise and Kuroko stunned. Hayato and Ogiwara tamed Haizaki somewhat, and like what happened with Kikuchi, whenever the silver-haired teen pillaged a move from them, they knew how to counter it. But when he used a move from somewhere else, then they'd be in trouble.

Still, the third quarter ended with Teikou on 67 while Meiko trailing behind on 60.

When the fourth quarter started, Kise and Kuroko were subbed on, Mochida and Ogiwara were subbed off. Seeing the blond on the court and in his number eleven jersey, Aomine could help but laugh. It was the last quarter, so he was sure that Kise was going to play at his full potential.

The quarter started with a throw in from Meiko, Kise throw the ball to Abe before going off to his marker. But, the instant Abe received the ball; Akashi knocked it from his hands and proceeded towards their net. While everyone else had run off, Kise stayed put and stared. With Murasakibara now on offense, their net was free. And with Kuroko on the court, Kise knew he was unstoppable.

As soon as Akashi made the shot Kise dashed off, and without anyone noticing, Kuroko grabbed the ball and like what he did in the Shutoku match in his previous life, he made a spin to gather momentum. When that was done, he released the ball, sending it flying across the court.

Without even looking, Kise stretched his hand out behind him and the ball landed firmly there, stunning everyone on the court. Without hitch, Kise jumped and made a forceful dunk and upon landing, he sent a smirk to Aomine.

But due to everything happening so fast, people lost in shock. As for Teikou's bench, they couldn't comprehend what just occurred.

Kise skipped back into his court merrily, while Aomine retrieved the ball. He didn't want anyone to face Kise, so when he retrieves the ball, he can do whatever he wants with it.

When Aomine returned, before he could even do anything, Kise came up to block him.

"You look fired up Kise." Aomine said with a smirk.

"You have no idea." Kise replied.

Aomine then made a dash around the blond but before he could even make it far, Kise was already blocking him. And thankfully this is first year middle school Aomine, if it wasn't, he'd be breaking out couple crazy stunts.

"Ha! You've gotten good!" Aomine said with a swift crossover. He dashed around Kise, but like before, Kise blocked him. As a matter of fact, everyone on the court noticed that there were no gaps in the blond's defence. Aomine found it hard to contain his joy. Finally, there were was someone who stood up to him.

But, suddenly, Aomine felt the weight of the ball gone from his hands. Turning around, he saw Kuroko dribbling the ball into their court with Kise following behind. The other players took off as well, Murasakibara practically flying towards the light-blue haired teen.

Luckily, Abe came to the rescue and Kuroko passed the ball to him before he disappeared again. Kise had already run towards the net but no one really paid him any attention. Abe was the one with the ball, so Kise couldn't get the ball if Abe was hindered.

Still, that was Teikou's mistake.

When Kise reached close enough to the net, Murasakibara saw him jump but the thing was, he didn't have the ball. Not knowing how to react, Murasakibara was frozen for a second. He looked back to Abe and saw that the boy was smiling.

Abe bounced pass the ball to an apparently open space and within a split second it flew up into Kise's hands and he made a dunk. Yet again, Teikou was shocked.

Akashi's eyes scanned the court for the culprit responsible for that pass. He had a feeling that it was Kuroko as the other players weren't in a position to make such a pass. But the thing was, he couldn't locate the light-blue haired teen.

Focusing back to the match, Akashi saw Murasakibara grab the ball in a fit of rage, and moved off towards Meiko's net. But, as soon as he made two or so steps, there was a look of shock on his face. And before anyone could register what was happening, they saw Kise made another slam dunk yet again.

"Where the hell are they attacking from?!" Haizaki asked in frustration. "Who keeps passing that blond the ball?!"

Akashi was pissed. So far, Meiko managed to get four points off them and if this keeps up, Kise and Kuroko won't be able to transfer. Akashi decided to take matters into his own hands. But before he could get his hands on the ball, Aomine snatched it and stormed towards the blond.

Kise smiled.

He looked behind him, and Kuroko gave him a thumbs up, which indicated that he was free to do what he wanted. He greeted Aomine but the ace avoided him by doing a crossover. He darted towards the net, and by the time that the ball was about to roll of his fingers, Kise knocked it from his hands.

Hayato grabbed it quickly, and he along with Abe and Masato made their way to Teikou. Kise felt Aomine busy in an attempt to lessen the workload on his teammates.

Hayato then looked across to Masato and nodded. Seeing the twins nodding at each other Abe knew what they were planning. The moment they passed over the centre circle, the twins crossed paths with each other, but Hayato released the ball behind him to Abe as he got into position.

Midorima felt that something was off, but he couldn't put his finger on it. In the moment that Abe passed the ball to him, Hayato used the quick release that he learned from Kise (who had copied it from Sakurai in his previous life). By the time Midorima jumped to block the bleached blond, he had already released the ball, and it fell through the hoop with a _swoosh_.

"You tyrant," Hayato started, getting into his Yatogami persona. "You have oppressed my people for far too long. It's time for your diving punishment."

Midorima twitched with rage. "You…!" he withheld his tongue so as to not seem like an idiot for responding to Hayato's speech.

The Yatogami had returned to his half of the court, but Midorima couldn't take his eyes off him. He was going to get his revenge. The green-haired shooter knew that when it comes to shoot-outs, he's unstoppable. This bunch of no names were no match for him.

And as such, instead of the game focusing on the point guards or Kise and Aomine, it shifted to Midorima and Hayato. The two shooting guard were absolutely relentless, Midorima with his ranged shooting from the centre-line and Hayato with his frightening quick release.

The boys owned the court for three minutes, having the crowd wondering what happened to the rest of the players. But knowing that Hayato was no monster, before his stamina could run out, Abe ceased passing the ball to him in order for him to recover. The Yatogami understood, and this meant that it was Kise's time once again.

This time, Kise and Aomine took centre stage and of course, the blond held nothing back. That said, Kise actually went on a rampage. From the moment he got the ball from Kuroko, Kise's eyes were locked on Teikou's net and his defender. He left Aomine in his dust many times, due to his superior speed. It wasn't due to his copy of future Aomine, but it was because he had been training with weights ever since he came back to the past with Kuroko.

He knew that Aomine had slacked off in his training at one point in time, and at another, he was focusing on his skills, not speed.

Still, it didn't mean that the tanned ace backed down. He gave Kise a hard time sometimes, but when the blond couldn't take it anymore, he decided to use future Aomine's formless moves.

Once, when the two aces had reached the net, Kise had jumped to make a shot, however, Aomine jumped for the block. Seeing this, Kise didn't release the ball right away. With his back almost parallel to the floor, Kise made the shot ―a fadeaway.

Another time, after Teikou had gotten a point through Haizaki, when Kise received the ball, he sprinted towards the net, weaving around Teikou's defence so smoothly that Aomine was left in awe. But when he and Murasakibara tried to block the boy, once again, Kise used a copy, this time of Murasakibara.

With a spin, Kise slammed the ball through the net using the Tornado Dunk, not entirely blowing the boys away, but causing them to stagger a bit. After all, Kise isn't _that_ strong.

In addition to that, Kuroko shone on the court. Well, not _him_ but his passes. The crowd and Teikou watched with horror many times as the ball flies across the court into Kise, Hayato or Masato's hands. Another time, they saw Abe make some strange passes to the open space and suddenly Meiko gets a point. It was really scary, and at one point, the audience thought that Meiko was using Magic and Kise could summon the ball to his palms.

In that case, Kise would be seen jumping and seeming like he was dunking. But there was no ball in his hands. Then, a second later, the ball flies from God knows where only to sit perfectly in his palm.

The twins played beautifully as well.

Now that they were playing their rightful positions, like Kise and Kuroko, Hayato and Masato worked well with each other and Abe. During their new move that entails them crossing each other and switching the ball (sometimes releasing it to Abe), it took Teikou for a loop sometimes.

The boys in light blue and white didn't know if the one with the ball will keep it after the cross, or pass it to his brother during the cross or release it to Abe. And because of that unpredictability, Teikou were often time caught off guard.

Not liking how this was going, Akashi decided to mark Kuroko. He figured that he was the source of their offense, as if he doesn't get the ball around, Kise can't do anything. But, Akashi underestimated the time-traveller. If this was Kuroko from his previous life, then he wouldn't have had a chance. But this was Kuroko from Future A, who upon travelling back to this time was taught dribbling and all the necessities from Kise.

Kuroko doesn't rely on misdirection _that_ much these days. Kise made sure of it.

That said, when he was passed the ball from Abe, Kuroko decided to use his vanishing drive to pass by the redhead. With two dribbles, Kuroko made a duck from Akashi and escaped. However, he misdirected his gaze but to the onlookers, it seemed as though Akashi allowed him to pass.

But, Teikou's point guard got out of his stupor quickly enough and caught back Kuroko. In that instant, Kuroko made a step to the right with a slight jump and chest passed the ball to Abe who had run up.

The High Priest then redirected it to Hayato, who made a three using his quick release.

Both teams were now tied.

Feeling defeat grating on his nerves, Akashi took action. He snatched the ball, and stormed towards Meiko in a fit of rage. Abe tried to stop him but the redhead used his Emperor Eye to ankle break him. As a matter of fact, anyone who stood in his way was put down. Kise and Kuroko didn't move from where they were, as Kise wanted the redhead to have a taste of his own medicine.

When Akashi made the shot and returned to his court (even his teammates were stunned at the act but dared not oppose him), Kuroko threw the ball to Kise who walked leisurely to the redhead. With eyes blazing, Kise started to dribble extremely fast using a copy of Akashi.

"Get out my way." Kise said.

"Excuse me? You are not subservient, why should I listen to you?" Akashi scoffed.

Kise didn't reply, instead, before anyone knew it, Akashi found himself on the floor with Kise looking down on him.

"Because my orders are absolute." The blond said as he walked towards the net. Haizaki and Aomine tried to block him but it was the same treatment. But when he reached up to Murasakibara, Kise passed the ball to Kuroko, who redirected it to Masato. Easily, he made a three (which frightened everyone) but luckily it went in.

Meanwhile, Akashi was stunned. Never before has someone done such a thing to him, and he was livid. Shirogane had wanted to sub him off, but Nijimura withheld him. The former captain only said one sentence which the coach seemed to understand:

"They need this."

Thus, the game continued on, and Meiko became even more vicious. While Meiko's teamwork was perfect, Teikou were falling apart. Aomine only wanted to play Kise, Midorima had his eyes out for Hayato and dared not to pass the ball when he got it, Akashi targeted Kuroko, Haizaki had Masato, and Murasakibara targeted anyone who came near him.

At one point, Haizaki and Aomine double teamed Kise, but the boy simply flung the ball into the net using a formless shot. Another time, Aomine could be seen chasing Kise, seeming as though he wanted to trap him at the baseline. However, not even that could stop the blond.

Reaching at the baseline, Kise jumped but he ended up behind the backboard. He then threw the ball up and over the backboard. Smoothly, the ball entered the hoop; leaving everyone (even Meiko minus Kuroko) shocked at his recklessly good skills.

Kise was indeed frightening.

With only two minutes left, Teikou automatically went on the defensive once Meiko was on offense. It was difficult for the boys in green to get a shot in, but this is where Kuroko came into play. With his lack of presence, Kuroko managed to slip through Teikou's defence. Reaching up to the net, Abe then passed him the ball after which he got into the posture for the vanishing shot.

Murasakibara tried to block him, but when Kuroko released the ball it seemed to have vanished only to reappear going through the hoop. For the first time, Teikou were stumped. Due to this, the boys got even more aggressive, and had managed to get some shots in. Haizaki's temper snapped and he raged his way through Meiko, so too did Murasakibara.

When the clock had winded down to thirty seconds, Teikou had managed to get a point through Murasakibara and had returned to defend their court quickly. Seeing the ticking clock, Kise called out to Kuroko who had the ball. The blond was standing next to the net, and Kuroko knew what he was going to do.

He passed the ball to Kise who upon receiving it, bent his knees after which he straightened. Teikou let out an air of surprise. When Kise released the ball, the arc was as high as the ceiling, and by the time it neared the net, it came down crashing through the hoop with a perfect _swoosh_.

"Shintarou…?" Haizaki said as he looked at Kise. This was the second time that he felt like the blond was someone from his team.

Now the two teams were tied, but there some time left. Aomine snatched the ball and moved towards Meiko who were in defence. However, as soon as he passed Abe, and headed to the net, he felt the weight of the ball gone and Hayato and Masato surround him in a double team. The ball then flew towards Kise, who hadn't moved from taking the shot earlier.

Yet again, Kise made a full-court shot, and as Teikou looked up at the ball in its high arc, they felt agony. The ball crashed through the hoop, and all eyes darted towards the scoreboard.

Meiko – 103, Teikou – 100

The buzzer sounded signalling the end of the match. For a couple seconds the entire gymnasium was engulfed in silence as the unthinkable had just happened. The invincible Teikou had fallen to a school that no one knows about.

Meiko erupted into cheers and screams; Hayato, Masato and Abe were hugging each other and crying tears of joy, Ogiwara and Mochida flew onto Ishikawa with happiness, Hoshizumi and Kikuchi applauded while crying tears of joy, Kise took up Kuroko and spun with him all the while grinning.

It was a truly joyous moment, after all the hard work and toiling that they had gone through had finally paid off. For Meiko, they were glad that they won, but for Kise and Kuroko, they were glad that they got to change history as well as their future.

Teikou drowned in shock and sadness, and were unable to move. Tears poured out of their eyes, for Murasakibara, he had collapsed onto his fours, Midorima only stared at his hands, Haizaki continuously cursed, Akashi looked on in horror, and Aomine actually had a smile.

When Abe saw this, he immediately went to Akashi with his hand stretched out.

"Meiko won. I want your eyes." He demanded.

Doing some damage control, Hoshizumi took swift action. "You didn't win, Abe. We did. The deal was if you won you'd get his eyes."

"Captain! How could you!? Those were going to be my future family heirlooms!" he shrieked.

But before this carried on further, the referee blew his whistle which signalled that they should line up. After the announcements were made, Meiko received their trophies and medals, and even took some photos. Unable to control their emotions, the boys felt like fools all throughout this, even Kuroko had a beautiful smile on his face.

After they left the court and had freshened up in their locker rooms, they were asked by journalists for interviews which they gladly accepted. Throughout this interview, the boys answered as best as they could, and when they were presented with a question that needed a detailed answer, they left it to Hoshizumi. But there was one question that would leave the interviewer and the rest of the basketball world shocked:

"It is clear and evident that Teikou has much more talent than you do. What drove you to push yourselves to the limit for the win?"

And Kikuchi addressed the first part of the statement, "Sir, talent is what wins games, teamwork and intelligence are what wins championships. Teikou didn't have an ounce of teamwork, and they disregarded their intelligence. So that was their downfall."

Kise then piped in. "We pushed ourselves to the limit because we want to win, not only for ourselves, but for the other teams that Teikou destroyed and the ones who we had beaten to get here. So in a sense, we had to win their sakes as well."

Abe added, "We also wanted to show others that Teikou are powerful but not invincible. If you believe in yourself and your teammates, then anything is possible as long as you try."

Hearing these statements, Ishikawa was moved deeply. Before, these boys wouldn't have thought about things like these, but they've matured so much that he was almost moved to tears.

After their interview, and a little talk from Ishikawa, the boys decided to head home since they were exhausted. They decided to have their celebrations at another time when they're full of energy and can eat.

_xxxx_

"I'm sore." Kise said as he stretched his arms upwards.

"We both are." Kuroko responded.

The two boys were currently walking towards the station. Their teammates never stopped crying; only Abe was really sad because he didn't get Akashi's eyes to make into a family heirloom. It was a really funny sight to see; even Hayato had to video the point guard's face with his phone.

Still, the two time-travellers were relieved. Not only did they save the Miracles, they saved Meiko as well. In their previous lives, Meiko had suffered such a devastating loss which had made Ogiwara transfer schools and forget about basketball. As a matter of fact, many schools had suffered the same or similar fates.

Looking into things, Kise felt that they didn't just do Meiko and Teikou a favour, but every basketball team out there. Seeing the team dubbed 'invincible' crumble before a team of 'no names' would truly ignite something within the others, giving them the push needed to move forward.

Strangely, Kise never felt this accomplished before. Due to this, he let out a chuckle which caught Kuroko's attention.

"What are you laughing about?" he asked.

"Nothing much," Kise replied honestly. "It's just that I feel satisfied that we've prevented the Apocalypse."

Now it was Kuroko's turn to laugh. That phrasing was all too funny but at the same, all too true. If the Miracles had won the match, then God help them come summer. He wasn't looking down on his teammates, surely not, but the Generation of Miracles were actual monsters. And if they've caused their growth spurt to speed up faster than in their previous lives, thinking about what would have happened if they had failed was terrifying.

"Yeah, you're right." Kuroko said. "But now that the world knows what we can do…"

"…Summer is going to be fun!" Kise chirped. "Now the entire team can play without holding back! Man~ I can't wait!"

Kuroko made a smile, he couldn't wait either.

...

" _Talent is what wins games, but teamwork and intelligence are what wins championships."_

\- Michael Jordan

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for reading!


	34. Chapter 34

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Epilogue

 

" _Now let us welcome the new year, full of things that never were."_

 _-_ Rainer Maria Rilke.

 

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The remainder of their middle school lives flew by quickly.

After beating Teikou in the Winter Tournament, Meiko has been on everyone's radar. From a team with no outstanding talents they managed to usurp Teikou in such a stellar match. Many players were watching out for Kise, as seeing him topple anyone who stood in his way was frightening yet awe inspiring. By the time the new school year around, there was an influx in future hopefuls, for once, Ishikawa was swamped with applications that weren't for the managerial position.

But, out of the tons of applications that he had received once the boys spent a week of training, they were dropping out like flies. Only twenty or so remained, and Ishikawa made sure to cultivate them for when his rascals were leaving.

When the Summer Championship came around, the boys were even more brutal than last year. This was because they didn't need hide anything, and played with all they've got. And like that, they made it to the finals, and faced Teikou.

To say the match was hell would be an understatement.

With Momoi having data on them and the Miracles now working as a team, things looked bleak for Meiko. Although they fought tooth and nail, Teikou still managed to snatch the victory.

Meiko didn't feel at all disappointed, more like they were even more fired up for the Winter. On that note, Meiko defended their Winter title, and wanted to give Hoshizumi a good farewell present.

The boys celebrated their win, but ended up tore up because Hoshizumi was leaving since he was now a third year and they were second years.

Hoshizumi graduated and because he had moved earlier on, he was going to attend Seirin. Kuroko froze on the spot when he heard it, but when the former captain had visited them in his uniform, Kuroko got yet another shock. In his previous life, he's seen Hoshizumi around Seirin. Of course he wasn't in the basketball club, but that didn't mean Kuroko wouldn't encounter him one way or the next.

Seeing the look on his partner's face, Kise inquired, "What's wrong Tetsucchi?"

"It's just that seeing Hoshizumi-senpai now made me realize that in my previous life I had seen him around Seirin." He answered. "But as you know, he wasn't in basketball."

"Wow, so we actually didn't change the future so much then." Kise let out a sigh. "I'm relieved."

"But I wonder what's going to happen to Seirin. If Hoshizumi-senpai is there, does that mean someone won't turn up?"

Kise shrugged. "I highly doubt that. I think that it'll just mean that Seirin has an additional player than in Future A." he then added, "Plus, with him there, your captain can finally get a break. I mean, he was the only one on the team whose threes were dangerous. With Hoshizumicchi there, they can rotate their shooting guards."

"Yeah, you're right." Kuroko conceded. Having finished with their little chat of the previous future, they joined the others who were surrounding their former captain.

…

Now in their final years and having retired from their club, the boys of Meiko were now looking at high schools to enter. They didn't seem that worried though, since they had gotten offers from various schools. Hayato and Masato had received offers from Touou, Abe had been sought after by Shutoku, Kikuchi and Ogiwara were wanted by Kirisaki Daiichi and Kaijou, Mochida was wanted by Seihou and East Maizuru High ―a school only second to Rakuzan in Kyoto. Kise and Kuroko were hounded by many. These two were the most famous of the entire team with their impeccable partnership and unbelievable plays.

"So, Kise, Kuroko which school are you attending?" Abe asked. "I know you're both inseparable."

"Seirin.", "Kaijou." Both boys replied simultaneously.

Everyone froze. Kise and Kuroko looked at each other with shock. How could they have forgotten about something so important?! It's obvious that they both still had some attachment to their high schools from their previous lives, but now that they've grown on each other so much, playing basketball without the other is just…unthinkable!

"Well, I don't know you'll work that out." Hayato said. "Seirin is rather new, and Captain goes there, but Kaijou is a real powerhouse. They even have that Kasamatsu and Moriyama guy we played against in our first year."

"Don't worry; I'm pretty sure they'll find a way to sort this out." Ogiwara said. "But any school that Kuroko's going to, I'm going too!"

"Really? Why?" Mochida asked.

"Because I can't let Kise manipulate him for another three years."

"Dude, you're evil!" Masato laughed. "No one is coming in between you and Momoi so why are you disrupting their love?" he snickered.

Ogiwara blushed. "I'm not! It's just that Kise's tendencies are a bit…" he purposely trailed off to let their minds wander. "Plus, Aomine is always third-wheeling! It's frustrating!"

The roof erupted into laughter. Ogiwara's face was priceless, but Kise and Kuroko understood what the brunet meant. Even though in the future they seemed a bit distant from each other, there's no way one would see Momoi and not see Aomine. They were _always_ together.

Apart from this, Kise and Aomine would meet to play one-on-ones after school. It happened almost every evening since their first year, Momoi and Kuroko being the scorekeeper and referee, but whenever Ogiwara joined, it would become a two-on-two with Momoi as the scorekeeper. In this case, there were times when Ogiwara and Aomine were on the same team, another time it was Kise and Aomine playing against Kuroko and Ogiwara, another it was Kise and Ogiwara against Aomine and Kuroko.

These games would be quite fun, since Aomine wasn't a cold monster but a monster that loves basketball. But with Aomine and Momoi doing this almost every evening, even the rest of the Miracles started to join in, and so too did the rest of Meiko.

The two teams would attract a crowd of passers-by who simply got caught up in their breathtaking game. What was more, Teikou and Meiko were mixed being that each team never had the same boys from the same school together. Through a lottery the teams would be chosen and sometimes, it ended with the people who had terrible personalities on the same team.

Once when they were playing three-on-three, a team had Aomine, Abe and Murasakibara; another time a team had Akashi, Hayato and Haizaki, another with Midorima, Kise and Kuroko.

They played four-on-four as well, and the most dangerous combination came from the most unlikely of sources ―Kise, Aomine, Ogiwara and Kuroko. It was a given that Kise and Aomine were dangerous, but add Ogiwara and Kuroko with his frightening precision into that mix was lethal.

Throughout these little street matches, Teikou and Meiko had developed into a friendship that no one saw coming. And thanks to this, in actual matches, Teikou weren't the condescending bastards that they turned out to be in their previous lives. Not only because Meikou had beaten them in Winter, but because they saw that hard work, perseverance and teamwork can make anyone become victorious.

And thanks to this, Middle school basketball was saved.

_xxxx_

The cherry blossoms swayed in the wind, littering the streets and sidewalks. It was spring, the season which symbolizes new beginnings. That also included a new school year. Seirin Private High School was buzzing with chatter and excitement, as the new students rolled in; the older ones were trying their best to recruit members for their clubs and societies.

Four boys who stood out like sore thumbs could be seen trying to navigate their way through the mass of a crowd, but were stopped ever so often by the senior students.

"Interested in rugby?" one of the boys were approached by the captain of the team, just because he had a big frame. He had raven-black hair and dark eyes. He wore Seirin's uniform normally, his black jacket with the stand-up collar was zipped all the way up, and his pants were neatly ironed. He was Mochida Reiji and he humbly declined saying that he doesn't like the sport and never played it before.

"Have you ever played Shogi?" another boy of the group was then approached after they had cleared the rugby obstacle. He had lush brown hair which curls around the nape of his neck and wore glasses. Unlike Mochida, he wore his uniform somewhat like what they would call a ' _yanki_ '. His jacket was unzipped, revealing a bright orange shirt beneath. He lazily had both his hands in his pockets. He too, declined their offer and moved off swiftly before he snaps. Everyone who knows Abe Motoharu, knows that his mood swings are pretty severe.

"You gotta play baseball if you're Japanese!"

"Swimming! It feels great!"

This time, the group was approached by two boys simultaneously. But these seniors' eyes were locked on the two twins of the group. However, one of the twins had bleached blonde hair which emphasized his light brown eyes. The blond, like Abe, had his jacket open, but no colourful shirt underneath. Around his neck, he had a gold chain, and dangling from his belt hoop around to his back pocket there was a silver one. His brother wore multiple coloured armbands on his right hand, and had piercings on his right ear. Due to their lean build, they seemed like the perfect recruits. They only exchanged glances with each other before answering with a cold tone:

"No."

They then moved away from the disappointed Senpai and looked around for the club that they wanted. After scanning the crowds, Abe spotted a black-haired boy waving a make-shift flyer and shouting out 'basketball club'. Instantly, he quickened his pace which prompted the others to follow him.

"We'd like to sign up." Abe said. The raven looked torn between surprise and gladness. "I'm Abe Motoharu and this is Mochida Reiji," the boy nodded his greeting, "and those two are Kaneshiro Hayato and Masato. Hayato is the blond."

"I'm Izuki Shun, nice to meet you." he perked. He then turned to face his companion who had the face of a cat. "I'm going to carry these off to Coach and Hyuuga, keep handing out the flyers."

They then moved off. As they walked, Izuki asked them many questions, not making it seem like an interrogation, but he was really curious. Four first years want to join the club at once. Add that to the four that they had received earlier, then that would make a total of eight. He just hoped that they would be willing to stay.

"You know, we watched your match when we were in middle school." Hayato said. "Your captain seems like my new best friend." he joked. However, he did not miss the obvious glare he received from Abe. They were best friends after all. Even if neither wanted to admit it.

Izuki chuckled. "Until you meet Hyuuga, I think you'd say something else."

"Why? I think that shooting guards should unite under my rule."

"I see." Izuki said, quite confused about that statement. When they reached up to the table, the former Meiko stars saw a brown haired girl sitting with a dark haired teen who wore glasses. "Hyuuga! Coach!" Izuki waved to them, unable to keep quiet until they had fully reached up to the table. The two then looked up and they saw happiness oozing out of the female while surprise came out of the boy.

"They want to sign up?" the bespectacled teen asked. "That's quite the amount at once!"

"Welcome, welcome!" the girl greeted with a smile. "I'm Aida Riko and this is Hyuuga Junpei."

"Nice to meet you." the four chorused. Riko then gave them each a sign up form and quickly, they had filled it out. After they were finished, they returned the papers and she read their information, mainly, the school that they used to attend. She was alarmed.

"You all used to go to Meiko?!" she shouted. That drew the attention of Hyuuga and Izuki.

"Yeah," Mochida answered. "Is there something…?"

"Then that meant, you were apart of that history making team that defeated Teikou!" Hyuuga shouted. "And Hoshizumi's kouhai!"

"Das rite," Masato smirked, adding a little flare to his speech. "That's us."

"So what about the others?" Izuki asked. Hoshizumi had talked about all of them rather often.

The boys looked at each other before answering. "You'll meet them sooner or later." Abe grinned. Just then, they heard a shout and looked in the direction. There, they saw a raven-haired boy with green eyes sprinting towards them. He was their one and only captain in Meiko, Hoshizumi Shou.

"Guys! You're here!" he said, sounding as he'd tear up. "I can't believe you decided to come to Seirin!"

"Well, we watched your match in high school." Abe said. "That and, we really couldn't think of a school that'll fit us. I just love the fresh smell of usurping powerhouse schools in the morning."

The others laughed at his statement.

"So where are Kise, Kuroko, Ogiwara and Kikumo? Are they late?" Hoshizumi asked. Since _four_ of them were here, he thought that the others were following suit.

"You'll soon see them, Captain." Hayato said. They then bid their farewells and headed towards the auditorium.

"Man~ these first years are amazing!" Riko cooed with delight. "First it's that Kagami guy from America and now these four who managed to defeat Teikou three times! I can't wait!" she rubbed her hands in a sinister way.

Hyuuga had a feeling that this year, they were in for hell.

_xxxx_

Kise stood outside of the gates, glancing at his clock almost every second. He was dressed in his uniform, but wore a black cap to hide from his fangirls. After a minute more of waiting, someone called out to him.

"Hello, Ryouta-kun."

That voice made every hair on his skin stand up.

"Tetsucchi!" he screeched and then lunged at the boy for a hug. This time, Kuroko returned the hug and for what seemed an eternity, Kise embraced the boy, not wanting to let go. It was almost as though he wanted soak up every bit of Kuroko as he refused to let go.

"Ahem!"

They then broke apart at that.

"Jeez, it's the entrance ceremony, Kise. Stop acting like you didn't see Kuroko yesterday." Ogiwara said, rolling his eyes at the blond. Beside him, there was another boy, none other than their manager, Kikuchi Motoki.

"Mou~" he pouted. "You wouldn't understand Ogiwaracchi, Kiku-cchi."

"I'm the childhood friend, try me." Ogiwara grinned triumphantly.

"I really don't care, but this is a public space. Have some decency." Kikuchi reprimanded. "Leave your affection for private areas."

But knowing where this was going, Kuroko quickly intervened. "Let's go, we have to sign up remember?"

The four then moved off, trying their best to navigate through the crowd, Kuroko felt like he was being sandwiched as on his left there was Kise and on his right was Ogiwara. Neither boy wanted to leave his side; Kuroko sighed, realizing that he'd have to endure three whole years of this. Behind them, there was Kikuchi, seeming as though he wanted to laugh at Kuroko's misfortune. By the time they reached further inwards, Ogiwara spotted an obvious Senpai. He was clothed in his basketball jersey and was handing out flyers to some boys who had stopped.

"Senpai!" Ogiwara called out and then hastened his footsteps. Kise and Kuroko followed, even though Kise would have guided them.

"Oh, aren't you a bit enthusiastic on your first day of high school?" he asked. He had ash-blond hair and wore glasses.

"Of course! Basketball gets me so pumped!"

"I see." he smirked. "I'm Nakamura Shinya, you?"

"Ogiwara Shigehiro."

"Kise Ryouta."

"Kikuchi Motoki."

"Kuroko Tetsuya." at Kuroko's name, Nakamura jumped as he hadn't noticed him at all.

"Was he…?"

"He was there the whole time." Kise, Kikuchi and Ogiwara answered. Nakamura then proceeded to give the boys the flyers. Then Ogiwara started to look at the uniform with amazement, and started to fantasize loudly about him wearing it in a match. Everyone laughed at that, but deep down, Kise was wondering if he'll get back his number seven like the good ol' days.

"I want to wear number seven!" he said, unable to keep his mouth shut.

"I highly doubt that would be possible, Ryouta-kun." Kuroko said.

"Don't be so pessimistic Tetsucchi!" Kise whined.

"You know, I still find this as an outrage." Ogiwara said as he went in between them. " _I'm_ the childhood friend and all I get is _Ogiwara-kun_. Come on, Kuroko, don't be like that."

"Don't be like what?"

"You know what I mean, call me Shigehiro or even Shige!"

"Absolutely not!" Kise rejected. "I had to wait _years_ before I could even _hug_ him without being jabbed! He's exclusively mi―"

"No! I can't let you monopolize Kuroko for another three years! How greedy can you get?!"

"Greedy?!" Kise gasped. "I have waited an eternity for my chance!"

"You scoundrel!"

"You're in high school!" Kikuchi then roared. "You can't be carrying this drama here as well!" his face then darkened. "Or do you want me to discipline you?"

"No sir!"

Throughout all that, Nakamura could only look on with shock and fright. They weren't even in high school properly and had this kind of drama going on already? He then chuckled, remembering that they'd have to face Kasamatsu.

"All right drama queens, let's get you signed up." He then said.

"Yosh! Off to the basketball club we go!" Ogiwara then shouted with glee, seeming like he hadn't taken notice that he was being referred to as a 'drama queen'. But before they could start their walk, Kise felt someone crash into him, prompting him to turn around.

"Hey! Can't you ―" the blond instantly broke off when he saw who were before him. The boy was grinning his face off, the female beside him had a look of playfulness.

"Yo," he said with a grin. "Don't you dare think that you'll be escaping me for the next three years."

"A-A-A-Aominecchi!?" Kise screeched, stricken with disbelief. Even the others were shocked to see him there. Kuroko, he was as pale as a sheet.

"Momoi-chan?!" Ogiwara followed suit. "I thought you were going somewhere else! Why and how did you end up at Kaijou?!"

"I have to babysit him, of course." She smiled as she pointed her thumb in Aomine's direction. "I can't tell what he'll do if I'm not around."

"Of course not!" Aomine retorted. "I just need a scorekeeper!"

"Aominecchi," Kise said again after he recovered. "Why are you here?"

"For our after practice sessions." He said in a matter-of-factly. "You owe me that much."

"I don't owe you anything!"

Aomine sighed. "I really loved them so much that I became hooked. But then you transferred. So, I'm not going to let you go, _this time around._ " He grinned. "You're the best person to play basketball with!"

"This is a disaster." Kise groaned.

"Well then, how about a two-on-two after this? Kuroko can always be the ref and Momoi-chan the scorekeeper as you said." Ogiwara then suggested. "I have a basketball."

"Sounds good to me," Aomine grinned. "It's time I repay the favour."

"Heh, I'll still kick your ass." Kise smirked.

"I'll kick all your asses if you don't get a move on!" Nakamura roared. Immediately, they fell into step behind the Senpai, but being that they were at the back, Kise couldn't help but feel a bit saddened. Even though they had changed middle schools, somehow, Aomine and Kuroko managed to be on the same team. It was then that he felt that Kuroko may eventually gravitate to him more; being that he was his _first_ light.

However, Kuroko could read the blond like an open book. "Ryouta-kun." He called.

"Hmm?"

Kuroko pulled Kise down to his level and kissed him on his lips. "You are my Light, both on the court and off it. Don't forget that."

Instantly, he perked up. "I won't!"

They then hastened their footsteps just in time to hear Momoi telling Ogiwara and Kikuchi what happened to the rest of the Miracles.

"Don't tell me you know what happened to them?" she asked.

"No, is it something serious?" Ogiwara replied. The way Momoi had phrased it, made it seem like something tragic.

"It's grave. All of Teikou's regulars went off in pairs." She started. "Mukkun and Midorin are at Shutoku."

"But the worse ones are Akashi and Haizaki." Nakamura joined in. "They went to Rakuzan who already had three of the Uncrowned Kings. Imagine that line-up." The older teen then shivered.

Kuroko and Kise's eyes widened with shock. "Shit," the blond ended up saying. When they had saved the Miracles, they hadn't anticipated this savage turn of events. It seems that time around, the schools are far more powerful. Kise shuddered. To make it worse, whenever Meiko and Teiko met during these past years, he's seen how good Haizaki became. It wasn't better than Aomine, but if it was himself from before, the grey-haired teen would have probably given him a difficult time. So, him, Akashi and the Uncrowned Kings on the same team at the same time?

Kise nearly broke out in tears.

"So what?" he then heard Aomine say. "After all, you have me _and_ Kise. Plus Satsuki is one hell of a manager. We'll be fine."

"Kikumo is a manager too!" Ogiwara then joined in. Kikuchi had kept quiet throughout all this.

"Yeah, but isn't it good now that Satsuki's here? He can focus on playing now."

"I'm better off as a manager. After all, I'm not called the Feudal Lord for nothing."

"Haah?" Aomine asked. "But I remember you. I think you were better than the black-haired guy that took on Haizaki."

"His name is Masato," Kikuchi corrected. He wondered if Masato would keep his hair like that, as the blond hair actually suited him and looked better.

"But anyway, leave all the work to Satsuki, that's her specialty. Trust me, Feudal Lord-sama." Aomine joked while throwing a hand around Kikuchi's shoulder.

The boy sighed in defeat.

"Man, I can't wait to start playing basketball!" Ogiwara then cheered. "Me, Kise, Tetsu, Kikumo and you Aomine…man, I can't wait to take down other teams!" Ogiwara shivered with delight.

Aomine then smirked at him. "It seems that we'll be getting along quite well for these next three years."

Ogiwara shrugged. "I strangely agree with you."

As for Kise and Kuroko, even though they've made the future twice as hard, they were glad that they were able to save the miracles and hopefully, everything flows from here. Kise then locked his fingers with Kuroko and gave him a peck on his cheek, causing him to blush.

"Let's have even more fun with basketball for the rest of high school." Kise said, trying to hide a blush.

"Sure." Kuroko answered.

But one thing that was on all their minds was toppling the schools with the Miracles once again and emerging as number one.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! This is where it ends, the final of this story1 Thank you all for your kudos, bookmarks and comments! XD


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